She Remembered
by BlueBoxCompanion
Summary: The Eleventh Doctor recieves an urgent phone call from an old friend, bearing only one message. 'She's remembered, Doctor. Donna remembered.'
1. Chapter 1

**I just want to say thanks if you're reading this and I hope you enjoy! I don't own Doctor Who. If I did, Donna wouldn't have had her memory wiped. **

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><p>The Doctor felt his cell phone buzz in his pocket. He froze. It continued to ring. He didn't think he'd ever hear the sound again.<p>

Martha hadn't wrung, Mickey hadn't wrung. Rose couldn't ring. River wouldn't bother calling if she needed him. Amy and Rory were off having their own adventures. Who could it be?

He picked it up and looked at the name flashing at him in bright letters. It was _Wilfred Mott_.

'No' the Doctor whispered. Why had Wilf needed to call? The Doctor was already dreading the answer.

'Hello?' he said.

'Doctor! I thought you'd never pick up. It's Donna. She's remembered. She's remembered, Doctor. She's remembered.' Wilf repeated himself like a broken record as if he couldn't comprehend the news himself.

Fear filled the Doctor's hearts as he swallowed hard and tried to speak. 'Is she...Is she...' He couldn't do it; he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Wilf caught on and let out a breathy laugh. 'No, not yet. She's burning up, Doctor. Sylvia's trying to keep her fever under control but she needs you. Save her. Save my Donna.'

The phone line went dead and the Doctor choked back a sob. 'Donna remembered,' he thought as he set a course for Chiswick. He tried not to be too hopeful but one thought and one face replayed in his mind. One face stood out in all of time and space. One beautiful face, lying restlessly on a bed surrounded by bottles of water and medicine: the face of his best friend.

He was going to see his brilliant Donna Noble again.


	2. Chapter 2

**I just want to say a massive thank you to all who favourited this story and put it on their alerts. This is only my second story here, so it means a lot.** **Lastly, I don't own Doctor Who**

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><p>Chapter 2:<p>

The sound of a landing TARDIS forced Wilfred Mott from his brief period of sleep. He glance worriedly over at his grand-daughter, who was still sleeping. Wilf was thankful for it was painful enough for everyone when she was awake. Physical pain for her and it hurt Wilf and Sylvia to see her in such a state. They had to move her to the living room so they could take better care of her needs.

The noises of the TARDIS were slowly fading and Wilf jumped from his chair, flung the front door open and stared into the face of the time-lord. He noticed it wasn't his Doctor. The pinstripe suit had been replaced with a tweed jacket, his hair was new and he donned a bright red bow tie. Wilf liked it, it was...cool.

'It's really you.' He said. 'After all this time you came back.'

'I had to, Wilf. She needs me. Where's Donna?' the Doctor asked, poking his head around the corner.

Wilf stepped aside for the alien to enter. The Doctor rushed into the familiar living room and his eyes fell on the woman lying sprawled on the lounge, chest rising and falling rapidly, beads of cold sweat on her brow, vibrant red hair splayed around her face and over her pillow.

She looked broken and the Doctor hated it. He hated himself for what he had done to her. He had taken away the most brilliant part of Donna: her beautiful mind. He had wiped her memory. That was a long time ago, for him at least.

'How long has it been?' he asked.

'Just over a year' replied Wilf sadly.

'How did she remember?'

'We were sitting up on our hill with my telescope and I told her to look into it and tell me what she saw. She told me she saw a man, dangling out of a blue box. I thought she was going to burn up there and then. I looked up and there you were. That was the beginning, after that she started getting headaches. Then she had these dreams. She dreamt of a skinny man in a suit with a blue box and a screwdriver. She mentioned something about an Ood...Then she started getting sick.' explained the old man.

The Doctor pursed his lips in thought for a while and opened his mouth to speak.

'She has a strong connection to my TARDIS, what with all the time she spent aboard. When she saw her in the sky that night it triggered her memories, her conscious brain couldn't handle it so they seeped into her subconscious thus the strange dreams she's been having. She must be very weak.'

Wilf listened intently for a while but they had used enough of Donna's precious time. 'That's all very well, Doctor but what can you do?'

'Don't worry, Wilf, the doctor is in.'

He walked over to the lounge and knelt by Donna's head. He thought she looked older, not by much though and she was definitely thinner. He placed a hand to forehead. She was burning.

'I need to get her to the TARDIS'

A small smile spread across the Doctor's face. 'I have a plan.'

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><p><strong>I would really appreciate it if you guys would review, tell me what you like and what you didn't like. I promise there will be DoctorDonna dialogue in the next chapter. The review button is right underneath here. Right underneath. Click it, please. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much to SPACER8000, Suzotchka1, BB, SickOfAllYourLittleLies and ..locked for reviewing! You have no idea how much it made me smile when I got review alerts :) Without further ado, I introduce to you...Chapter 3!**

The TARDIS doors opened of their own accord when she saw her Doctor coming. The Doctor ran for the TARDIS as best as he could whilst carrying Donna in his arms. He preferred not to remember the last time he had to carry her home. Her head stayed supported by the crook in his arm and her legs dangled over the other side. In the Doctor's opinion she was far too lightweight. The first thing after he fixed her, and he _would _fix her, they were going straight to a chip shop to get some extra conditioning on her. He didn't like how pale she was either. He hoped that when she woke, the snappy, sarcastic Donna that he loved, wouldn't be lost too.

He raced inside and gently put her down near the TARDIS console. Wilf followed quickly behind them and knelt by Donna's side. 'What now, Doctor?' he said.

'Be quiet for a moment Wilf, I'm thinking.'

'You mean you don't have a plan?'

'Of course I have a plan! I always have a plan.'

'So what is it?'

'To get her to the TARDIS' The Doctor said.

'You've done that, so what now?'

'I didn't think that far ahead!'

The TARDIS hummed quietly as if to make her presence known and the Doctor's head quickly snapped toward the centre of her console.

'Aha!' he cried triumphantly. 'Thanks, old girl. I don't know why I didn't think of that sooner.'

The Doctor pushed some buttons and pulled some levers on her console all the while muttering things like 'If I can just reverse this' and 'Open this bit here' and 'Oh, it's been a while since I've had to do any of this.'

Wilf just looked on like a lost puppy until the figure at his feet started to move. 'Donna!'

'Gramps? Is that you?' She sat up and looked around, a little dazed at first and then startled and then a look of overwhelming happiness lit up all of her features. 'I'm back!' she yelled. 'Where is he Gramps? Where's the Doctor?'

'Hello, Donna Noble. I bet you don't recognise me, do you?'

The Doctor smiled a little sadly and held his arms out for a hug.

Donna inhaled sharply and took a step forwards. Hesitantly she took another, then another until finally she found her way into his arms. Her head rested on his chest were she could distinctly hear two hearts beating away.

'Two hearts and your eyes. They haven't changed. You look different too, and-'she broke off as she looked up.

'Please tell me that isn't a bow tie.'

'Hey, it's cool!'

She rolled her eyes and laughed, the Doctor joined in too for about a second until Donna gasped and clutched at his arms. 'My head burns, Doctor.' She whispered.

The Doctor pulled away from her. 'I can fix that. I'll fix it properly this time, I promise.'

The TARDIS's humming had grown louder and a white glow was coming from her console.

The Doctor placed his hands to Donna's temples as he had so many years ago and closed his eyes. A thin, wispy thread of energy that ranged from milky-white to yellow in colour slipped from Donna's mind to his. The thread widened and flew faster and faster before the Doctor staggered backwards and hit the console.

'Wilf, stay back!' he cried.

The TARDIS's buzzing reached its climax and she opened her heart to the Doctor and the two of them were engulfed in a bright light. Inside the light the Doctor was pouring the energy into the TARDIS at a rapid rate. Soon the light dimmed a little until at last it was gone.

Donna rubbed her head, tears pouring from her face. She tried to wipe them away, ashamed of crying again. The pain was mostly gone and the remnants of her last migraine were slowly ebbing away.

'Are you okay?' she asked.

The Doctor smiled tiredly. 'Donna Noble. After all you've been through you ask me if I'm alright. I'm fine, Donna...Are you?'

She nodded. 'I've missed you, Doctor. I've missed you so much. I didn't even know it until today but I have.'

'I've missed you too, Donna.'

Wilf coughed quietly and raised his eyebrows. 'So, if everything's good now...Do you want to stay for tea, Doctor?'

'Oh no, Wilf, I coul-'

Donna grabbed the Doctor by the arm and pulled him away from the console and led him outside.

'I lost you once, I've lost you twice. I'm not losing you again. Ever. D'you get that?' she said.

'I s'pose I could stay for a while. Only for a while.' The Doctor said. He was secretly very happy about the prospect of enjoying Donna's company again. It all almost seemed too good to be true. The Doctor, Donna and Wilf linked arms like three school children and walked happily back to the house.

'Thank you, Doctor.' Donna whispered.

'You saved my life so many times, Donna. It was about time I returned the favour.'

'I wonder what Mum will say.' Donna mused.

'Sylvia's out at the shops. She won't be back for a while.' Wilf said a little too happily.

The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief. Explaining everything to Sylvia was an adventure he'd rather tackle another day.

**So that was chapter 3! I hope you guys enjoyed and found it interesting. I had lots of fun writing this and I hope you guys have as much reading it...and reviewing. **

**You're all so awesome. Seriously, you guys are brilliant. Please review and tell me what I could improve on and what you liked! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Huge thanks to ****helikesitheymikey****, ****BrendonUrieAndABroom****, ****SPACER8000**** and ****earlyable**** for reviewing, we hit double digits. *happy dance*I had some great suggestions that may make their way into the story but you'll all have to wait and see. Without further ado, I give you...Chapter 4!**

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><p>Donna sat at the dinner table clutching a mug of hot tea, taking the occasional sip. Her attention was focused on the man -alien if you want to be politically correct- sitting opposite her. Her eyes ran over every inch of him from his face to his toes. She looked at the spot where his second heart was and back up to his eyes. They spent quite a long time staring at each other before the Doctor set his mug on the table and clasped his hands together like a business man. Now that he was seated here with his best friend and everything was well, he didn't know where to start. He had so many questions for her, so many things he wanted to know. He opened his mouth to speak and was shocked at the question that tumbled out of his mouth.<p>

'Have you found someone yet?'

He shut his mouth and tried to look as innocent as possible as he watched Donna's jaw drop.

Her eyebrows were raised so high he thought they might jump off her head.

'How do you mean?' she asked.

'Well, I...I meant to say if you had, you know ever got a, you know a...man friend.'

Wilf spluttered and coughed as he tried not to laugh. It was failing horribly.

'A man friend?' A mischievous smile slowly crept onto Donna's face. 'Oh, yes. His name is John. John Jones. He's great you know, really caring, makes a wonderful chef and he does some of the house work. He's funny, clever. He's the whole package!'

Wilf gave her a sideways glance and decided to play along. 'Occasionally John comes by for dinner. He's a good bloke.'

The Doctor looked a little dismayed but didn't say anything about it other than 'Oh, congratulations, then.'

'What about you, Doctor. Have you found anyone yet?' Donna asked casually.

The Doctor blushed and muttered 'It's complicated.'

Donna nodded. 'It usually is with you, innit?'

'Pretty much, yes.'

There was silence for a while until everyone had finished drinking their tea. 'I'd better get going soon' said the Doctor sneaking a sideways glance in Donna's direction. 'I was wondering if, after everything you've been through, you might still want to come with me? I mean you don't have to if you'd rather stay here with John but I'd really love it if you'd come. Please, Donna?'

Donna looked to the ground sadly. 'No.'

'What?'

'I can't come, Doctor. I have some commitments here on earth to attend to. John is a really great guy and I doubt I'll ever find anyone quite like him again.'

The Doctor's entire body seemed to sag. He couldn't believe it. After all this time, she had turned him down. 'Well, if that's really how you feel then I need to get going. Goodbye, Donna Noble and Wilfred Mott. It was great seeing you again.'

He turned to walk out the door. 'Doctor' Wilf said taking his shoulder and spinning him back around. 'You can't just let her go now. You can't.'

'She's made her choice, Wilf. Goodbye.'

The Doctor turned once more to leave and made it out the front door, down the street and towards his faithful TARDIS. She would never leave him.

The Doctor opened the door with a snap of his fingers and walked glumly over to the controls. He was about to flick a switch when a voice rang out loud and clear behind him.

'Hello, Spaceman.'

The Doctor's mouth hung open. He looked like he'd been slapped. 'Donna! But-but-but you said no! You said you'd stay with John.'

'For someone so wise you can be such an idiot sometimes. Did you forget what I said about not letting you slip away again? Or about how much I've missed you? I didn't go through a year of crazy migraines and those dreams for nothing! Of course I'm coming with you, you numpty. ' The same grin from when they were having tea appeared on her face. 'John can wait.'

'But you were inside the house a minute ago. How'd you get here?'

'I snuck out while Gramps distracted you. We make a good team me and him, almost as good as the two of us together.'

The Doctor smiled the biggest smile he could ever remember and ran to her. She held her arms open for him and they hugged each other for a solid two minutes until the Doctor spoke. 'Donna! I can't breathe!'

'Right, sorry.' She said loosening her hold on him. 'So, where are we off to now?'

'Wherever you want, whenever you want.' The Doctor replied.

'I want to see it all! Everything there is to see.'

'Next stop everywhere!' he cried.

The Doctor flung some levers and fiddled with some knobs and the TARDIS started dematerialising in the middle of the street. Inside the Doctor and Donna shouted gleefully at the familiar feeling of setting off on a new adventure again.

'This is going to be wizard!' she yelled over the roar of the engine. She clasped hands with the Doctor as the TARDIS threw them into the Time Vortex. She had a special trip planned especially for their reunion and it was going to be a good one...

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><p><strong>So that was the fourth chapter! I hope you all really love it as much as I do. I have a little something prepared for their first reunion adventure. Please rate and review, you guys do an amazing job at reviewing so keep it up. I love you all! <strong>

**Reviews make me update faster. :) **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, everyone! I hope you've all had a fantastical week. I'm sorry this update is a bit late. I hope you all enjoy! Also thanks to my reviewers ,SPACER8000, BrendonUrieAndABroom and Suzotchka1! I'm glad you all enjoyed. Also, I don't own Doctor Who. I own a TARDIS cookie jar and Series 6 on DVD. That's it.**

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><p>'Now, Donna I don't want you peeking.'<p>

'I won't, I promise.'

The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors and took a step outside, leading Donna by the hand.

'Okay...Open your eyes!'

Donna gasped at the sight before her. It was one of the most amazing things she had ever seen. She took a tentative step outside and her foot found solid ground. She looked around at the rolling hills in one direction and the beautiful city situated just across a glassy blue lake. The thing she found most spectacular was all the different _hats_. People were bustling around everywhere each with a wacky style of hat on their heads. Bowler hats, top hats, fascinators, elaborate caps, toupees, beanies, stetsons, you name it, it was there.

'Do you like it?' the Doctor asked. 'I thought you might.'  
>'Wait one second!'<p>

She dashed back inside the TARDIS. The Doctor waited patiently for a few minutes before she came rushing back out holding three hats in her hands: a large, floppy sunflower hat, a Mexican sombrero and a fez.

I take it those didn't come from the TARDIS's wardrobe then?' asked the Doctor.

Donna grinned sheepishly. 'Nope. I've had them packed for a while. I thought we may need them some day.' Trust Donna to think hats may be necessary in saving the world, having said that, she'd brought a fez with her. 'Which one do you think I should wear?' she asked, holding them each up to her face.

'The sunflower hat' the Doctor replied. 'I'll take the fez if you don't mind.'  
>'Sure, Spaceman.'<p>

Donna placed the fez fondly onto his head and they linked arms. 'It suits you. So what's the plan for today? Save the world? Save an alien race?'  
>'No and no.' The Doctor replied. 'I thought we'd do something a little less dangerous. Like a picnic.' Donna peered down at the little basket the Doctor was carrying.<br>'How did you fit everything for a picnic in there?' she asked.  
>'Take a guess.'<br>'...It's bigger on the inside isn't it?' she said.  
>'Yep, we've got enough to feed us quite nicely packed away in here.'<p>

The pair arrived at the edge of the smooth blue lake and looked around. 'I think this is the spot' they agreed. The Doctor set his basket on the ground and beckoned for Donna to watch. First he pulled out a large picnic blanket and set it neatly on the ground. Next he pulled out a plate of egg and lettuce sandwiches and finally some apple juice.

'That looks great' Donna said, seating herself down on the blanket. Little bits of grass stuck up, tickling the back of her legs. It was one of those wonderful days of lovely weather where the sun would be warm on one side but the breeze would blow on the other. How she loved those moments.

A blissful sigh escaped her mouth and the Doctor passed her a plate of sandwiches. She accepted them and took a bite. All the different flavours filled her mouth, rendering her speechless for a moment. She looked across at the Doctor and smiled. He returned the gesture and scooted closer. They sat in silence for while, simply enjoying each other's company until Donna spoke up. 'You dodged my question when I asked before. Have you found someone yet? While I was gone were you by yourself?'

'No. I was never alone for long. I met these people named Amy and Rory Pond. It's a long story, perhaps I'll tell you it someday.' He paused as if considering something. 'Perhaps you'll even get to meet them. Anyway, I travelled with them for a while. They had a daughter and when she grew up we travelled with her too. Only occasionally though. She was always...busy.' he explained. Donna noticed how he grew increasingly sadder the more he thought of the Pond's daughter. She decided not to mention it. She had a feeling he really didn't want to talk about it.

'I see. Well it seems like you've been having fun then.' she said.  
>'It's been good, would have been better if you were with us. I bet you've had fun on Earth with John though, eh?' He nudged her and waggled his eyebrows.<br>'Oi! Yeah...Well, you see. That's a long story.'  
>'Donna.' He said warningly. 'What aren't you telling me?'<p>

She huffed before continuing. 'John isn't real.'  
>The Doctor quirked a brow. 'Not real?'<br>'He was a dream. When I was having those crazy dreams about you and the TARDIS and those monsters and things there was also a man. He looked human, sounded human. I'm almost one hundred percent sure he was human 'cause he had one heart. All this crazy stuff was happening with our adventures and everything was changing but he always stayed the same. It was like the three of us travelled together as a trio. It was nice. As much as I love you Doctor I need someone. I need someone like Amy has Rory and how Rose has your clone. He just felt so real.' She whispered.

'Maybe he is.'  
>'What?'<br>'Maybe he is real. I'm real, TARIDS is real, and monsters are real. Who's to say he isn't real too?'  
>'You really believe that?' she questioned.<br>'It's a possibility.' He answered.  
>'Yeah, I s'pose...I wish I could find him.'<br>'Maybe we will.' The Doctor looked straight into her eyes and whispered. 'There's someone for everyone.'  
>Donna laughed. 'Yeah. Even you?'<br>'You never know!' the Doctor said. Time passed as the Doctor and Donna lay on the picnic blanket, letting the breeze blow their hair around. Donna reached over and patted the Doctor's arm. 'Thanks.' She said.  
>'For what?'<br>'For everything. I haven't had a day like this in quite some time and I haven't ever had a best friend like you.'  
>The Doctor smiled and squeezed her hand. 'You're welcome, Donna.'<p>

He glanced at his watch. 'Well, look at that! Time to go.' They looked around and sure enough the sun was setting over the city skyline. They got up, quickly packed up and set off for the TARDIS that was parked a little way away near some trees.

They walked back quietly and stepped inside. Donna only realised how cold she was when the warmth of the TARDIS hit her. She shivered slightly and went to go over to a chair near the console when the Doctor stopped her. 'You're cold.' He removed his tweed jacket and placed it around her shoulders. 'Your room is just down that corridor. Take a left and then another left and then a right, go straight ahead and it's the door at the end.'  
>She rolled her eyes. 'Got it.'<p>

She felt the Doctor's eyes on her until she rounded the corner and followed his instructions until she came to her room. It was spacious and simple, just the way she liked it. She walked over to the bed and turned down the covers. Donna slipped her shoes off and perched herself on the end of the bed. She slid her feet under the blankets, sighing contentedly. She didn't care that she was fully clothed and the Doctor's jacket was really comfortable. It was a matter of moments before she fell asleep and therefore didn't hear the resounding crash from the control room.

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><p><strong>Ah! Cliffhanger! What happened in the control room? You'll have to wait and see! It's going to be an awesome chapter. Please review :)<strong>

**Reviews motivate me. The button is just below. Go on. Click it. Please.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone! I hope you've all had a brilliant week so far. If not I hope this story makes it better (I thought seen as they're so many sad 'Donna Remembers' stories I'd make this chapter a light-hearted one)**

helikesitheymikey – **I can't tell you who exactly John is but I will say he's someone you haven't met before.**** You'll have to wait and see who he is and no, this will not be a Doctor/River pairing too heavily (though she will be mentioned along with other previous companions). It is first and foremost a Doctor/Donna. Thanks to all my reviewers, I love you all! :') Also, I don't own DW.**

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><p>Donna was sleeping peacefully in her room; however story was so incredibly different in the console room. The Doctor was in a state of panic, flying around the console, arms windmilling over buttons and levers and pulleys and a piece of machinery that looked oddly like a pinball machine.<p>

'No, no, no, no, NO!' he cried. 'I can't believe this! Impossible!'  
>He reached into his pockets and his hands came up empty. He caught his image in a reflective surface and put his head in his hands. 'I look so uncool!'<br>The Doctor surveyed his image again. His hair looked dapper as always, his shirt and suspenders perfectly straight, he was minus a tweed jacket but he knew Donna had that. It was his bow tie. It was _missing_.

Time passed and the Doctor slowly composed himself.  
>On the inside he was distraught, distraught enough to contemplate waking Donna. After all, it's not like he could find it himself. The TARDIS was massive; his precious bowtie could be anywhere. Alright, this was it. He was going to have to wake her up.<p>

The Doctor made his way down to her room and knocked on the door. There was no reply so he quietly turned the knob and tip-toed inside. There she was, laying spread on the bed, the sheets kicked to the bottom end, her vibrant red hair covering some of her pale face. She had curled into a ball and snuggled deep into his jacket, it was bigger on the inside after all. He didn't really want to wake her but his bowtie was gone. Desperate times call for desperate measures so he approached her bedside carefully, not wanting to alarm her.  
>'Donna,' he whispered, 'Donna, wake up.' She rolled over in her sleep so that she was facing away from him. He raised his voice slightly and tried again. 'Donna, please wake up, I need your help,' but still nothing happened. The Doctor placed a hand on her back and spoke again. 'Donna, it's me.'<br>The moment his hand made contact with her skin she jerked awake. She looked around, obviously flustered until her eyes found the Doctor's. 'What? I don't know if the same goes for aliens but humans need sleep.' She huffed irritably.

'This is important. I wouldn't have woken you unless it was necessary.'  
>'Well what is it then?' she asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.<br>The Doctor hesitated before blurting: 'My bowtie! It's gone!'  
>Donna stared at him, her expression incredulous. 'You woke me up because your stupid bowtie was gone? Why couldn't you have waited until morning?'<br>The Doctor crumpled a little. 'My bowtie isn't stupid! It was a gift, you know. I don't feel right without it.'  
>'Let me get this straight. You feel insecure because you don't have a bowtie with you?'<br>The Doctor nodded. 'Imagine how you would feel if you'd lost your only pair of pants! I feel exposed without it.'  
>'You are unbelievable. I'm already awake so I suppose there isn't a reason for me not to help you. Mark my words, Spaceman, if this happens again I won't hesitate to slap you.'<br>The Doctor smiled weakly, he didn't like Donna's slaps. They _hurt_. 'Thank you, Donna. You won't regret this!' he said.  
>'Yeah, we'll see.' She muttered.<p>

The Doctor took Donna by the hand and rushed out of her room, flew along the corridor and back to the console room. 'When do you last remember having it?' she asked.  
>'I don't know!'<br>'Well you'd think considering you can see all of time and space you'd know where you put a bow tie.'  
>'Donna, please this isn't the time!'<br>'No, it's not. It's one in the morning.'  
>'I said I was sorry for waking you up!'<br>'Whatever, Doctor. Where do you think we should start?'

He paused for a moment and considered everywhere he had been over the last few days. 'The library, we should definitely start at the library.'

'Lead the way,' Donna said.

Off they took, down a flight of steps, to the right and then to the right again before travelling a long a straight corridor. 'Here we are!' the Doctor said as he opened a door to his left. 'Welcome, Donna Noble, to the TARDIS library. All the information you could ever want is right here in this room.'

She stepped inside and looked around in awe. Tall, towering bookcases covered every inch of the walls. Thick books, skinny books, old books and new books, paperback and leather bound books all in rows. In the centre of the room sat a coffee table, a mug sat on top accompanied by a small blue book and two lounges sat on either side. A desk sat a little way away with a variety of writing materials strewn across it. More books, presumably ones the Doctor was in the process of writing lay upon the surface. 'I'll look at the coffee table, you take the desk,' Donna ordered.

She made her way over to the table and began to investigate. She lifted the couch cushions and found nothing; she moved papers on the table and still found nothing. Her hands found the small blue book and she reached to pick it up. 'Oh, my...' she said, tracing her fingers around the grooves in the cover. She remembered this book well.

The Doctor glanced over and shouted. 'Donna! Put that down immediately! You can't see that!'  
>'Why not?' she asked.<br>'It's my...diary,' he replied. 'No one gets to read my diary.'  
>'Alright, keep your shirt on. I wasn't going to read it.'<br>'Good. Have you found anything?' the Doctor queried.  
>'Nope, have you?'<br>'Nothing,' he said sadly.  
>'Well, where else should we check? She asked.<br>'The kitchen, let's check the kitchen.' He replied.

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><p>So the duo set off for the kitchen. Finally they arrived, the Doctor pushed open the door and Donna followed him in. The TARDIS kitchen had all the usual Earth kitchen things including a stove, oven, refrigerator, freezer, cupboards and draws upon draws full of cutlery and cooking utensils. They took to looking over the counter tops, moving and shuffling the objects scattered on top. Donna opened the cupboard doors and looked through his food. Jelly babies, jammy dodgers and a range of other sweets. 'Jelly babies?' she muttered.<p>

She could hear the Doctor moving the contents of his fridge until he cried out in dismay. 'It's not in here either! I'm also out of fish fingers and custard!'  
>Donna gave him her signature eye roll, 'Fish fingers and custard!' she scoffed, 'You are really weird.'<p>

They walked over the dining table which was decorated with candles and an elaborate table cloth. The Doctor may have had a bit of a dodgy dress sense but he knew how to decorate. The corner of something red poked out from under a magazine at the end of the table. Donna saw it and walked calmly over to it. She tugged on the corner and the rest of the soft fabric followed. She held it up and smiled at the Doctor. 'Is this what you were looking for?'  
>He looked up at her and saw what was dangling from her hand. 'HA! I must've taken it off so I didn't get food on it. Donna! You've found it! You've found my bowtie! Oh, Donna you're the best!' he cried as he swept her up into a hug and took the bowtie from her hand. 'Thank you, Donna!'<br>Donna shrugged casually. 'You're welcome, Doctor. Now, seeing as you woke me up, I suggest you make me a nice cup of coffee and I'll take one of your jammy dodgers too.  
>'Alright you deserve it, one coffee and a jammy dodger coming right up.'<p>

He pranced over to the kettle and flicked the switch, he waltzed over to his cupboard and took the packet of jammy dodgers out and placed them carefully on a plate. The water boiled and he made them two cups of coffee. He placed his creation on a tray and put it in front of Donna. 'Ta-da! I think I did quite well for someone who doesn't often drink coffee.'

Donna took her mug and sipped the hot liquid. 'Tastes good to me,' she sighed. She hadn't had a coffee in ages. The Doctor joined her at the table and took a biscuit. 'Thanks again for the help. I appreciate it.'  
>She nodded to signal that all was well and continued to drink her coffee.<p>

'You know, going on this little investigation tonight reminded me of the time we met Agatha Christie,' he continued.  
>'Except there wasn't a giant wasp terrorising us this time!'<br>Suddenly they were both laughing, good hearty laughs that neither had experienced in a long while.

That was how the Doctor and Donna spent the remainder of their night. Reminiscing over their old adventures and discussing the new ones that were sure to come, the danger and the thrill of the chase. Neither of them would have it any other way.

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><p><strong>I did have plans to make this story a dramatic, sad one but I had a bit of a bad day the night I was going to start writing it, so I thought 'Hey, why not build up to a dramatic cliff hanger make it seem like something awful is going to happen and then make everything light and fluffy.' <strong>

**This really made me smile as I wrote it and I hope you loved reading it. Drop me a review, pretty please. **

**Reviews make the Doctor and Donna happy. They make me super happy. Go on, click the review button. You know you want to!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi, Guys! I'm glad you all enjoyed my fluffy little chapter but now it's time for some drama. I'm so excited for this! I don't own Doctor Who. I wish I did but I don't. Also this is quite a long chapter and I did consider putting it in two parts but I felt this story needed to be told as one whole.**

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><p>Now that the Doctor and Donna had successfully found his bow tie and Donna had caught up on some sleep, the Doctor thought they were long overdue for another adventure.<p>

'Right, Donna! Where are we off to this time, any suggestions?' The Doctor pranced around the TARDIS controls happily and waited for a response but Donna was very quiet, perhaps too quiet. 'Donna, are you alright? You're awfully quiet.'  
>Donna seemed to shake herself out of a trance and her face snapped up to meet the Doctor's. 'Yeah, I'm fine, just a dream,' Donna said dismissively. The Doctor's head perked up.<br>'A dream? Tell me about it,' he said.  
>'I don't remember much' she began. 'There was a planet, similar to Earth I think, only a little different. It was so beautiful, Doctor. Only there was an accident or something, I don't know what about or anything like that. There was a child, a girl. She could only be about eleven or twelve with dark skin, dark hair and big brown eyes. She was lost, I think and she was hurt. I don't know why I only remember parts of it. It's like a puzzle. There's more and more every time. Who is she, Doctor?' Donna asked quietly, her voice almost a whisper. Her forefingers were pressed to her temples as if she was trying to remember a lost detail.<p>

The Doctor stopped in his tracks and faced his best-friend. 'I don't know, Donna.' He said.  
>'Why am I having these dreams still?' she asked again.<p>

The Doctor gave her a small smile, thankful that at last, he could answer one of her questions. 'I do believe that your dreams are nothing to worry about too much. I'd say it's just some leftover time energy from the TARDIS. Everyone who has ever travelled on board absorbs a little of it. I think your dreams are just events in time, past, present, future. Nothing to worry about too much.' He said reassuringly. He tried to take her mind off of things by prodding her again about their destination. 'So, where too?' he asked.  
>'What, you mean I get to choose?' she asked. Donna had perked up considerably at this prospect and the Doctor could practically see the cogs turning in her head as she thought of some crazy, fantastical place.<br>'I've already done planet of the hats...How about we go to the future?'  
>'Well that's a start' said the Doctor.<br>'How about a futuristic luxury resort?'  
>'We've already done that.' The Doctor sighed.<br>'Hmm. How about we close our eyes and pick a random place?'

At first, the Doctor frowned but slowly a smile crept onto his features. 'I've never tried that before. It could be dangerous and it's certainly risky. I like it, let's do it!'  
>'YES!' they cried together as Donna grabbed hold of a railing and the Doctor set co-ordinates blind.<p>

The VWORP, VWORP of the TARDIS kicked in and they were jolted roughly to the side. 'I never quite get used to that!' Donna yelled across the console.  
>'Don't worry, you will! Forever is a long time to adjust.' The Doctor shouted back.<p>

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><p>A very rough TARDIS ride and two jostled time travellers later the Doctor and Donna arrived at their mystery location. Donna was positively giddy with excitement but the Doctor, however appeared a little worried. 'Oh, I've never been here before...' he muttered, quiet enough so Donna didn't hear. His companion was standing by the doors trying to get a look outside of the window. All she could see were slightly blurred shades of red and orange. 'Oh, I'll bet we're on some sort of planet with beautiful sunsets and tropical beaches, that'll be exciting.' She said.<p>

The Doctor's face was set in a firm frown as he strode over to the TARDIS and opened the doors. He flung them open and cringed as the wave of heat hit him. Donna peaked around the corner and immediately whipped back inside.  
>'No' she whispered. A look of horror and distress spread across her features. 'How did that happen, Doctor?' It was half a question but more of plea for help. If ever the Doctor was needed now would be a great time. Whatever happened on this planet was deadly and very ugly. Donna chocked back a sob as her compassionate streak shone through. 'Tell me you can help them, Doctor. Tell me you can find a survivor.'<p>

The Doctor bowed his head. 'I had hoped I would never have to see something like this again,' he whispered, 'must have been a moment of wishful thinking.' He walked out of the TARDIS door with a heavy heart and hoped for Donna's sake that he could find a survivor of the wreckage. Donna made to follow him but he put a hand out to stop her. 'No, it's too dangerous' he warned.  
>'Like that's ever stopped anyone before! It's times like these that you shouldn't be left on your own.' Donna protested. 'I said I wanted to see different worlds with you, the good the bad and the broken.'<p>

He slowly lowered his hand and clasped Donna's in his own. Silently he led her outside and into the rubble. What she saw forced the tears out of her eyes and sent them rolling down her cheeks in hot waves. Not even the toughest of the Doctor's companions would be able to stop tears from flowing at this sight. Trees and buildings sent to the ground, debris everywhere and not a visible sign of life nearby. They took cautious step after step until they were a little way from the TARDIS. They continued walking until they were some way away, but it would still be a fast run back to safety if need be.

A small whimper came to their attention: the heartbreaking sound of a tiny person in pain. The sound was small and quick but the Doctor's ears caught it perfectly, the sound could only have come from a young child, possibly eleven or twelve. The Doctor turned and pulled Donna towards the sound, both faces set in grim determination. The whimper may have been full of hurt and pain but it was a sign of life, a life that perhaps, could be saved. A small body was lying half covered by fallen wreckage of all kinds. The skinny child moved her eyes to the movement of the Doctor and Donna's feet. Her big, brown eyes red and puffy from crying, her dark skin bruised and bloodied, her clothes burnt and tattered and her black hair damp with sweat that hung around her face like a limp curtain.

'Oh!' Donna uttered a strangled cry as she ran to the girl and knelt by her side. She went to clear the debris but didn't even know where to start, there was so much of it and she didn't want to hurt the child. Instead she took her hand and held it close. The girl needed reassurance, Donna could provide plenty of that. Thankfully, the Doctor came running too and knelt opposite Donna. He started from her legs, clearing the debris there and worked his way up to the heavier things. Donna scrambled to help and together they slowly freed the girl.

Donna watched as the Doctor lifted the feeble girl into his arms and settled her in, much like he had for Donna just a few days prior. 'W-who are you? Where a-are your tak-king me?' The child tried to utter feeble words but her voice was so hoarse from screaming and crying that her words broke off at odd times and she fell quiet. The Doctor remained oddly silent. He appeared to be concentrating very hard on the TARDIS as each step brought them closer to home. Donna had recovered from the shock of the event and walked as close as she could to the child without being a disturbance. 'I'm Donna and this is the Doctor' she said calmly. 'We're here to help and we're taking you to a safe place where we can make you better.'

This seemed to soothe the girl a little and she started to relax in the Doctor's arms. Donna whispered comforting things to her as they continued their journey toward the TARDIS. When they arrived she took the girl's hand in her own and pushed the door open with her other.

The child's eyes widened in awe as her eyes roamed around everything in the TARDIS from the console to the staircases and to the passageways in the corners. The Doctor carried her to one of the passageways and walked her to the TARDIS's hospital. It was small but had vast amounts of equipment attached to walls and posts. He lay her down on a bed in the centre of the room, stepped back and surveyed the girl. His eyes softened when he saw her bewildered, frightened expression.

'Hello, I'm the Doctor, I'm here to help,' he said restating what Donna had said earlier.  
>'Hello,' the girl whispered back to him in her soft voice.<br>Donna fetched a chair from the corner of the room and brought it to the bed where she promptly sat down and looked at the child.  
>'Hello, sweetheart,' she said.<br>'Hello, Donna,' the girl replied.  
>'Yes, that's me. Do you have a name?' Donna asked.<br>'My name?' there was a pause as the girl tried to remember. She must have suffered a bump to the head. 'P-Poppy,' she stuttered. 'I'm Poppy.'  
>'That's a lovely name' Donna said.<p>

They were disturbed by the Doctor rummaging around in one of the drawers. He took out a stethoscope and thrust it in Donna's direction. She obediently took it and placed it in her ears. She leaned over the girl and slid the stethoscope under her clothes. 'This may be a little cold but it's alright.' The girl nodded her assent and Donna pressed the metal to her chest. One heartbeat, a little unsteady but it could have been much worse. 'She's a little unsteady but her heart seems to be working well enough.' She reported.  
>'Good,' The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief. 'We'll have to get something for the burns and cuts. They'll be easy though.' He threw more ointments and salves and an antiseptic disinfectant in Donna's direction.<p>

She took the antiseptic and a cloth, and began to softly clean the wounds on Poppy's legs. When they looked cleaner they didn't look so horrific. 'I'm going to remove your shirt alright, dear? I just need to clean you up a bit.'  
>Poppy nodded shyly and sat up as best she could while Donna removed the tattered clothing. She lay Poppy back down and applied the antiseptic to her cuts on her stomach and then her back. Poppy looked considerably better. The Doctor walked over and helped Donna apply the cream and salves to the burns on Poppy's arms and legs.<br>Donna smiled at Poppy. 'You'll be alright, love. Everything will be just fine.'  
>'Thank you,' she whispered tiredly.<br>'You need sleep, Poppy, you're exhausted,' the Doctor said.  
>'I'll get her some clothes,' said Donna.<p>

She returned a few minutes later with one of her own clean, warm nightgowns. The Doctor turned his back as Donna helped Poppy dress. 'Bed time, Poppy!' the Doctor said after they had finished. As if on cue Poppy yawned and attempted to pull the covers on. He saw her struggling and pulled them neatly up to her chin and tucked her in. 'There you are,' he smiled, 'Safe and sound.'

As he and Donna left the room, there were so many questions rolling about in their minds. 'Who was Poppy, other than her name? Did she have family? What happened to her home? Would they ever find answers to these questions? If she struggled to remember her name how many of their questions would Poppy be able to answer? The Doctor glanced sideways at Donna. She automatically went to help and to comfort the girl while he remained frozen. He really did need her there alongside him. To stop him...and to get him started.

The question was where would they go from there?

**So, there you have it. I hope you all really enjoyed this. Out of all the chapters I am by far most proud of this one. I worked hard on it and I really would appreciate it if you would review this for me. Please tell me what you think of Poppy so far. She will be a key character in the chapters to come. I'd love to read your thoughts on this so please, please Review. The button is just below. Right down there. **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**Helloooo! I'm back! How have you all been? **

**I don't own Doctor Who (But I own a TARDIS cookie jar).**

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><p>'Who knew you were such a good healer?' Donna laughed. It wasn't a happy laugh mind you, but a nervous one, full of anxiety. The lack of sleep she had gotten over the past few days was showing on her face. Dark circles under her eyes gave her pale face a sunken look and her dirty locks of red hair hung loosely around her shoulders.<br>'Who knew you could be so motherly?' The Doctor looked just as bad as his companion with his messy hair and crinkled clothes. They were sat at a table clutching mugs of steaming coffee; tea just wasn't cutting it anymore. They had stayed up late every night for four nights, checking on Poppy, making sure her heart was stable, making sure she was comfortable, for the child wasn't sleeping well either.

Poppy's sleep had been plagued by nightmares ever since the Doctor and Donna had rescued her from her burnt home planet. She was staying with them on the TARDIS until they found somewhere safe for her to stay.

'She looks like she's getting better.' Donna said wearily from across the table. 'It's been so long and she looks a bit better. Do you think she'll be alright to get out of bed soon?' Even the woman's voice sounded strained, like every word took an incredible effort to force out.  
>'Let's hope so,' the Doctor paused in his speech to let out a long yawn. 'She's been through so much, Donna. She has to get over the shock of everything and then her body can focus on healing itself,' he finally finished.<br>'Yeah, I s'pose you're right. Whose turn is it to check on her?' Donna questioned.  
>'Yours, I think. I'll do it if you want,' he offered.<br>'No. No, I'll do it,' Donna made to stand up and pushed herself off the table.

She trudged along out of the room, down a hallway and into the TARDIS's little hospital room. Poppy was asleep in her bed, still wearing the same nightgown of Donna's from a few nights prior. She looked so small and frail that it broke Donna's heart just looking at her. It made her feel a little better to see the plate with a few crumbs on it on the bedside table though. At least she'd been eating. Donna stumbled over to the armchair that the Doctor had placed next to the bed and sat in it. It was really quite a comfortable arm chair. Poppy looked to be fine and after looking over the child, careful not to wake her, Donna rested her head against the back of the chair and let sleep take over her body.

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><p>Meanwhile, in the dining room the Doctor was pacing. It's what he did when he needed to clear his head, when he needed to think. So many thoughts were running through his mind. How could he and Donna care for the girl? How would they keep her safe if they couldn't even keep themselves safe? What would he do if something happened to one of them? 'I need to find a safe place immediately for Poppy. I can't lose another one.' he muttered, a frustrated frown creasing his brow. The Doctor had grown to care for Poppy. He wanted her to have a normal life away from destruction but she wasn't normal. He could take her back to Earth and leave her with someone there. Not an orphanage. He <em>hated <em>orphanages. Then again, Earth was never really safe, he wouldn't have to keep coming back to save the planet otherwise. 'Never mind, I'll come back to that later,' he thought.

In the end he decided that they had to tackle one thing at a time. They had to live in the present moment, like they always had.

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><p>It was a few hours later when the Doctor peeked his head around the hospital door and saw Donna sleeping next to Poppy. He smiled and let himself in, he walked over to Poppy and checked the monitor next to her, quickly looked her over and sat down. He grabbed a book and flipped to the page he had been reading.<p>

'Good book?'  
>'Donna, you're awake!' the Doctor said happily. He was glad he didn't have to wait out the remainder of the night alone. Donna smirked at the cover of the Doctor's book; "How to Knit for Dummies."<br>'I didn't know you liked to knit' she said.  
>'I'm aloud to have hobbies too. It's not all running around on crazy adventures, you know' he replied.<p>

'What's knitting?' came a voice from the bed.

Donna and the Doctor jumped; unaware that Poppy had woken up. 'Would you like to see the book Poppy?' the Doctor asked. She nodded and the book was handed to her immediately. Her eyes widened when she saw the pictures and patterns and colours in the book and a smile lit up her face. 'Could you teach me to knit, Doctor?'

'I don't know how good I'll be but we can learn together' the Doctor said.  
>'I'd like that, thank you.'<br>'Poppy, how are you feeling?' Donna asked gently.  
>'I feel better, sore and a little itchy, but better. Thanks for the clothes, Donna' Poppy added.<br>'That's alright dear, when you feel ready I'll take you into town and we'll get you some clothes of your very own.' Donna promised.  
>'Can we go soon? I want to see your planet.'<p>

Donna looked at the Doctor for confirmation. 'Yes, in the morning if you feel up to it' he said.  
>'See you in the morning then.' said Poppy.<p>

So with that the Doctor and Donna left the hospital for their respective rooms, shut their doors and caught up on sleep. They were going to need it.

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><p><strong>There you are some fluffy stuff for you. I'm sorry that this took a while. I had to keep re writing the Doctor's parts because I wasn't entirely satisfied but I have to say that the lack of reviews last time was disappointing. Reviews and feedback from my readers are what motivate me to write so I've borrowed a little trick from one of the other authors on . The amount of reviews this chapter receives affects how long it will take for me to put the next chapter up. <strong>

**So go on, the little blue button just below. I'd appreciate you clicking it and dropping a review. Thanks for reading guys!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

**Thank you to all my lovely reviewers. You have no idea how much it makes me smile (or maybe you do).**

**I don't own Doctor Who but I do own some fishfingers and custard.**

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><p>It was a rainy day in London when the Doctor and Donna arrived back to Earth with Poppy, wet pavements and people holding umbrella's everywhere. Despite the weather the mood inside the TARDIS had lightened considerably after everyone was well rested, Poppy was well enough to get out of bed now and could often be found roaming the TARDIS, looking in the vast multitudes of doors but she spent the majority of her time in the library. The books fascinated her and there was so many to choose from. She loved the fairytales the best. Occasionally Donna would pop her head round the door to check on her or to read her a story, sometimes the Doctor joined them to tell her his own stories.<p>

It was this morning that Donna had promised to take Poppy out into the city to buy her some clothes of her own and Poppy was so excited she could hardly wait. 'Poppy!' called Donna from the hallway, 'We've got to get going now. The Doctor's calling us!'

Poppy scrambled up from her seat in the library, left the leather bound book on a desk and ran to the console room. The Doctor and Donna were waiting patiently for her; both dressed in warm coats and scarves. Poppy wore one of Donna's smaller coats but it still hung off her like bed sheet.

They stepped out onto the pavement and looked about their new surroundings. 'Where are we?' Poppy asked in awe, for she had never seen such a place before in her life. All the colours both bright and dull warm and cool all the people tall or short and fat and skinny. 'We're in London, a place in England on a planet called Earth' the Doctor said matter of factly.  
>'More specifically, we're about to go to Harrods, a clothing store' Donna added after seeing Poppy's bewildered looks. Donna was secretly very excited too. It would be like shopping for a daughter.<p>

'Are we getting my clothes from there?' Poppy asked.  
>Donna nodded and led Poppy up to the steps of Harrods. They stepped over the threshold of the lush building and stopped in their tracks. Donna had been to a Harrods once before as a child. She could have spent hours there that day but unfortunately she wasn't ridiculously rich. Luckily, the Doctor had a suspicious amount of money, although for the amount of times he had saved the Earth he had earned it. Poppy was rendered speechless. Her head swivelled from side to side in a hurry to take everything in. Donna smiled fondly at the little girl. She had wanted a daughter for so long and thought that Poppy was the closest she would ever get to a real daughter. Donna loved Poppy from the moment the child had fallen asleep in the TARDIS hospital. With her little body gently rising and falling in sleep, her little eyelids fluttering, and her lips curled up in a small smile, she had melted Donna's heart.<p>

Donna often thought about where Poppy came from and what her life was like before but Poppy didn't seem like she wanted to mention it. Perhaps one day they would have that conversation but not today. Today was the time for fun.  
>Donna took Poppy's hand and led her over to a selection of very pretty dresses. A yellow dress with white roses and a white ribbon caught Donna's eye, she pulled it off the rack, showed it to Poppy and said 'What do you think, dear? Do you like it?'<p>

Poppy tilted head to the side and examined the dress critically. 'It's very pretty, Donna.' She reached out to touch the fabric and smiled when her hand made contact. 'It feels so nice!' she said gleefully. 'Can I try it?'  
>'Of course. Have a look along here and see what else you like' Donna gave her a gentle push and set her walking up and down the aisle.<p>

The Doctor looked awkwardly around the girl's department. He would much rather be somewhere else. 'She's so much better behaved than Earth children and so polite!' Donna said to him.  
>'Mm. Does that mean you don't need my help here? I need to get some knitting needles' he said.<br>Donna rolled her eyes. 'Go on then, get your needles. Meet us at the park by one o'clock and we'll get lunch.' The Doctor's face relaxed with relief, apparently he didn't like getting caught in the girl's dress section of the department store. Donna wanted to talk to the Doctor about keeping Poppy but everytime she hinted at it he changed the subject. Perhaps that meant that he didn't like her but Donna knew that wasn't the case. Perhaps the loss of Jenny and his other children stopped him from opening up to another. He was a complex man.

Soon Poppy returned with three more articles of clothing: a periwinkle blue dress with embellished sequins, a bright pink pair of pyjamas and a light brown coat. 'All good now, dear?' Donna asked whilst she happily looked over Poppy's choices.  
>'You mean I get to have <em>all <em>of them?' replied Poppy as she looked up in awe at Donna.  
>'Every one.'<p>

They purchased the clothes and walked back outside onto the wet pavement. The Doctor was waiting for them with two buckets of hot chips. Poppy accepted her's gratefully and began to chow down on her chips. Donna accepted her's with a little less gusto, complaining about how she had been trying to diet. It didn't take long before they had all devoured their lunch.

'Back to the TARDIS then?' asked the Doctor. He was soaked all the way through to his skin. Brown hair dripping with rainwater, the bottom of his pants stained a muddy brown colour from walking through the rain. The trio agreed and jogged back to the TARDIS, the Doctor snapped his fingers and the doors opened obediently allowing Donna and Poppy to tumble inside.

'Doctor, get out of the rain.' said Donna.  
>The Doctor wasn't moving.<br>'Doctor?' she asked, her tone growing concerned. She looked him up and down before reaching for his arm to drag him inside. He shook her off roughly while keeping his eyes on something in the distance. Donna was concerned for this was most unlike him.  
>He wasn't moving, he wasn't talking...not even blinking.<p>

'Doctor, speak to me!' she whispered.  
>'Donna, listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you. First, get Poppy inside the TARDIS, wait for me and whatever you do don't come outside and don't blink,' his voice was dangerously low, beyond a whisper.<br>'What are you on about? You're scaring me!'

He merely pointed at something just across the road, something that wasn't there when they arrived, and something seemingly harmless.

A stone angel.

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><p><strong>Just to let you guys know I've never been to a Harrods's before. It's a dream of mine. Someday, I'll get there, but sorry if I wasn't factually correct. Do you guys like the direction this story is taking? I have a plan for it but it's taking a while to get there. This was a "in between" sort of chapter to prepare me for the drama that is soon to take place and I assure you won't regret the wait. I know it wasn't the best chapter I've written but the next ones will be better. I guess the hectic school work as sucked the inspiration out of me. <strong>

**Reviews are the best things ever; they're like little hugs through the computer so if you could drop by with one it would be much appreciated.**

**I love you all and thank you each dearly for supporting me!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

**Hello! Firstly I'd like to say thank you to all you lovely reviewers because you're amazing. You're cooler than all the fezzes, Jammy Dodgers, Bowties and Stetsons put together! **

**Lestrade in the Tardis – John Jones is a person that Donna has been seeing in her dreams. She confided in Wilf about the dreams she had been having hence the reason Wilf knows about him. ****Although he is currently someone Donna dreams about that doesn't mean he isn't real. I can say that he will definately be making an appearance soon. Spoilers, my dear reader :) Oh, and thanks for the reviews, they mean a lot! I hope my explanation made sense.**

**I don't own Doctor Who but I own a TARDIS blue nail polish!**

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><p>"'<em>Donna, listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you. First, get Poppy inside the TARDIS, wait for me and whatever you do don't come outside and don't blink.<em>

'_What are you on about?' she yelled. 'You're scaring me!' _

_He merely pointed at something just across the road from them, something that wasn't there when they arrived, and something seemingly harmless._

_A stone angel."_

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><p>The Doctor and Donna hadn't planned on spending their first outing with Poppy in a staring match against a weeping angel but hey, the lives they led were unpredictable. The Time Lord's face was fixed in serious concentration at the seemingly harmless statue; it seemed that he had no problem with not blinking. Donna on the other hand was attempting to let her eyes take turns in closing and it wasn't working out for her. Her entire body was stiff with focus, her red hair brushed firmly out of her face, her fists clenched tightly by her side, standing protectively in front of Poppy.<p>

'Doctor, what is that thing?' Donna asked, keeping up with her half blinking, half winking stare.  
>'It's a weeping angel, the only monster in the universe to kill you nicely.'<br>'But it's only a statue!' she said incredulously, her bright green eyes slowly squinting shut.  
>'Only while you're looking at it, if you blink or turn your back even for a second your gone,' said the Doctor, still staring directly at the angel across the street.<br>'I don't understand,' Donna replied, nevertheless she was no longer squinting.  
>'The moment you look away they aren't stone anymore. They <em>move<em>, Donna and they're so fast. The second they touch you they send you back in time and feed off the energy you would have used to live your life. Make sense?'

The Doctor's nonchalant replies shocked Donna. She wondered if this was always how his Eleventh regeneration always acted around danger, or if it was this particular monster that made him act like this, either way he was frightening her. She resolutely hardened her gaze and with a new force looked upon the weeping angel, determined not to blink. Moments passed and she realised how hard it was.

'Oh and don't look it in the eye.' he added.  
>'Why?' Donna breathed.<br>'Just don't.' he said.

Poppy had been very quiet until now and hesitantly, not wanting to startle them, she began to speak. 'Donna? Doctor? What's happening?' There was an unmistakeable tremble in her voice and for the second time that day she melted Donna's heart. The Doctor too felt a pang of guilt but he pursed his lips and continued in his staring match. Donna couldn't understand this new man. Sometimes he was so kind and wonderful and sometimes he just disappeared into a shell of concentration. She supposed that's what happened to people with such an amount of responsibility on their shoulders. When the Doctor became aware of Poppy's question his answer was firm and steady. 'Poppy, I want you to stay behind Donna. I want you to stay there and don't move, I also need you to be very quiet.' Perhaps afterwards he realised how harsh he sounded and added a soft, 'Please, Poppy,' to the end of his sentence.

Donna's frown softened, maybe he wasn't so hardened after all. 'Doctor, I can't keep my eyes open anymore. I _need _to blink.' Donna said, trying not to panic, her eyes were watering and so close to closing and then...she blinked. Her eyes snapped back open to view the angel that, to her surprise, hadn't moved. 'It didn't do anything!' Donna exclaimed. 'Why?'  
>'Because I was looking at it too' said the Doctor patiently. 'Now, Donna listen up. I've got a plan but I need your help and Poppy too if she's willing. In small numbers they aren't so difficult to handle, let's just hope there's only one.'<br>Donna did hope, she hoped very, very hard that there was only one stone creature. Somehow it seemed too good to be true but she nodded her head anyway. 'What do we have to do?' she asked him.  
>The Doctor smiled, these were the moments that he loved most on adventures. The chase, the pursuit! The game was afoot.<p>

'I'm going to go outside now and have a look around for more of them, if I shout come running but don't forget the angel in front of us. One of you must be looking at it at all times. When you need to blink take turns. Once I know how many of them there are we can get rid of them. I trust you, Donna, I know you can do it. Poppy, you have to be very brave today, braver than you've ever been before in your life. Understand?' He resolutely adressed his companions and without waiting for Poppy's reply set foot outside the TARDIS.

Poppy emerged from behind Donna's back and came to stand beside her. Standing tall they both looked at the weeping angel taking care not to look directly in it's eyes. 'If I need to blink I'll just say so, okay?' Poppy asked. Donna admired how the tremor in her voice was gone. She really was companion material despite her age. The child had massive amounts of courage built up in that tiny body and Donna realised that for the entire time that she had known her Poppy had always been brave. Always. 'Yeah,' Donna breathed quietly 'That should work.'  
>'How do we find the Doctor if he calls?' Poppy asked.<br>'Don't worry, he tends to stand out in a croud,' came the reply. 'Let's just hope that doesn't happen.'

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><p>The Doctor tightened his bow-tie and ventured out into the rain. The angel nearest to him hadn't moved which meant that Donna and Poppy were working well. He liked Poppy, really he did but he didn't want to open up to her. She reminded him of his other children. Of Jenny, who he would never see again because he opened up to her. He let Jenny into his life and before he knew it she was forced to leave. He didn't want that for Poppy, the innocent child who he and Donna had saved together. That was why he loved Donna. As a best-friend of course, they weren't a couple, he laughed to himself as he remembered how so many people had mistaken them for lovers. "Never ever" was her response. Any way, he loved her for her capacity to love. To accept love and the way she gave it so freely.<p>

Something seen out of the corner of his eye made him stop in his tracks. Another one, just outside Harrods. People were passing by the shop, bustling to and fro on the path. He had time. As long as there were people looking at it he had time.

There it was. A third, in front of the hot chip vendor's stall. 'Okay, one for each of us,' he murmered to himself. Oh, how wrong he was. There was a fourth, making them outnumbered. This was it.

'DONNA!' he yelled. 'Donna there's more of them! DONNA!' he shouted as loudly as he could not caring about the public attention he was drawing, the more people noticing the angels the better, well... until they all blinked.

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><p><strong>HAPPY EASTER! :) I hope you all had a lovely day.<strong>

**So there you have it, a nice cliffhanger for you all. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and rest assured there is more to come. Remember how I said my reviewers are as cool as Fezzes and Jammy Dodgers? Well go on, the button is just below. Reviews make me write faster, so please, make my day and drop by with a review. **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

**Hello, everybody! Here's Chapter 11 for you. I hope you enjoy this part because I've been waiting to write this chapter for a very long time and worked very hard on this, it's a long one.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.**

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><p>Previously on She Remembered...<p>

_Something seen out of the corner of his eye made him stop in his tracks, another angel, just outside Harrods. People were passing by the shop, bustling to and fro on the path. He had time. As long as there were people looking at it he had time._

_There it was, a third, in front of the hot chip vendor's stall. 'Okay, one for each of us,' he murmured to himself. Oh, how wrong he was. There was a fourth, making them outnumbered. This was it, trouble._

_'DONNA!' he yelled. 'Donna there's more of them! DONNA!' he shouted as loudly as he could, not caring about the public attention he was drawing, the more people noticing the angels the better, well... until they all blinked._

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><p>If the Doctor had been able to turn his head slightly to the left he would have seen Donna sprinting down the street with Poppy in tow. The child was clutching three pairs of sunglasses in her grasp, a pair for each of them. Donna made it to the Doctor's side and grabbed at his arm to stop herself from landing face first onto the pavement. 'I'd forgotten the running side of things,' she puffed. Her red hair tumbled down to cover her eyes, only for a few seconds before she brushed it away and straightened back up to her full height. In those few moments the statue outside Harrods moved closer.<p>

'Donna, look at it!' the Doctor warned, his gaze never shifting from his angel at the TARDIS. Donna composed herself and began her silent staring match with the weeping angel.

Poppy, who had her eyes trained on the angel outside the chip vendor's stall, began to fiddle with the glasses in her hands, contemplating the best time to confide her secret plan with the Doctor. 'No time like the present' she spoke.  
>'What did you say? Asked the Time Lord. Poppy hesitated for a moment before boldly speaking up about the brilliant plan she concocted in the TARDIS.<br>'I was thinking, the statues can only move when they're being watched, or when they _think _they're being watched. What if we looked at them through the sunglasses? The lenses on these are dark enough so that the statues can't see our eyes. How would they know if we were looking and blinking if they can't see our eyes?' The Doctor suppressed his urge to blink in surprise. The child was clever and resourceful, so clever in fact that her idea might just work.  
>'If they can't see our eyes I suppose they wouldn't know whether to move or not' he said.<br>'That would make us safe, right?' Poppy pressed on and the Doctor allowed a small smile to pass onto his face.  
>'Possibly' he replied.<p>

So without further ado Poppy placed the sunglasses neatly on the bridge of her nose. She passed a pair to Donna who passed a pair to the Doctor and once they each wore a pair of glasses Donna raised her next question, slightly nervous question. 'Should we try it? Blinking, I mean.' The Doctor gave a single nod and the trio held their breath. Donna's eyes closed for a fraction of a second and quickly snapped back open again. Miraculously the Harrods's angel didn't move an inch.

'Poppy, you've done it!' the Doctor exclaimed, happily.  
>'We always knew you could,' Donna said, allowing herself a shaky breath of air.<br>Being the modest girl that she was Poppy smiled sheepishly and shuffled her feet in the dirt. 'It was nothing special, just a mad idea that happened to work.'  
>'Mad ideas save lives, Poppy' the Doctor said seriously. 'Don't underestimate yourself.'<p>

A few special moments of relief passed when a thought jumped rather suddenly to the Doctor's mind. 'Wait a moment...' he frowned. Catching the worried tone in his voice made Donna and Poppy move their eyes – but not their heads - to his direction.  
>'What now?' Donna murmured, 'I thought we'd solved the bulk problem.'<br>'We've solved a little bit of the problem, Donna but I counted _four _weeping angels' he said and the creases in his forehead deepened.  
>'So why can we only see three?' concluded Poppy, catching on quickly to the Doctor's setback.<br>'Exactly,' He said.

Donna's eyes narrowed behind her glasses, this new information could have been revealed earlier. 'We've got to get out of here then. Make them follow us until we can see all four at once, perhaps?' she said.  
>'That's risky, Donna, too risky.' The Doctor said.<br>'Have you got any better ideas?'  
>'Well, no...Not really,' he said.<br>'How about you, Poppy? Got a plan?' Donna inquired, hopefully.  
>Poppy bit down on her lip and shook her head.<br>'At least tell us where you saw the statue,' said Donna.

The Doctor shifted his eyes to the place he last saw the fourth weeping angel but it wasn't there. He tried not to alert his companions to his panic but Donna wasn't an idiot either. 'It's gone isn't? Doctor, tell me it's not gone!' she whispered, agitation creeping into her voice.

'It's gone.'

'Now we definitely have to get out of here, it isn't safe' Donna reasoned. She'd been trying to mask her fear and thought she was doing quite well but she couldn't hide the sinking feeling of dread.  
>'Okay' he relented, 'we'll go, now get Poppy back to the TARDIS and wait for me there.' Donna nodded, pleased that she sounded persuasive enough to change his mind about staying and lead Poppy back to the TARDIS, all the while keeping their faces turned to the weeping angels.<p>

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><p>The gravel crunched beneath their heavy boots as they made their way back to TARDIS. Donna kept her neck craned over her shoulder so as to appear as if she was still watching. She reached out with a hand to push the wooden door open but the texture she felt when her hand made contact wasn't wood. It was <em>stone<em>. Donna jumped back from the statue as if she had been burned. Instinctively she drew Poppy closer and into her arms, one hand behind her head and one on her back, trying to physically shield the girl from the statue.

Her heart was pounding in her chest and she was terrified out of her mind that the stone creature could hear it. She felt sick, 'I found the fourth one.'  
>'Donna, it's okay. I'm looking.' The Doctor's voice sounded from just behind her and Donna's beating heart immediately calmed down and slowly began its regular rhythm. 'What about the other ones?' she asked, leveling her shaky voice.<br>'Don't worry about them, I've got the tourists looking but they won't stay there for long. You need to run, Donna. Take Poppy and run. If you can try to keep the weeping angels in your line of sight, try to find reflective surfaces. If you can trick the angels into looking at themselves in a mirror then they'll be frozen forever. I'm going to give you a head start.'

Donna understood completely every word he spoke but that didn't mean she agreed with him. She hated to leave him, she wanted him safe and she would have no way of guaranteeing that would happen if she left him alone. She became aware of the pressure on her waist. Poppy had wrapped her thin arms around Donna's middle and was holding on for dear life. Donna prised the girl's arms off and gave the Doctor a final hug before taking Poppy's arm and setting off in the other direction.

They ran as far and as fast as they could from the TARDIS and from the Doctor. Every step Donna took reminded her of what she was leaving behind: her _best friend_ and of what she was running from: _monsters that could take him away_.

They increased their speed for the fear they felt had spread, making them run faster than they thought themselves capable. What a sight they must have looked, sprinting along through the rain, hair trailing out behind them, splashing people left and right in their bid to distance themselves from the monsters. Donna heard the Doctor's words bouncing around in her head _"Run, Donna. Take Poppy and run." _The voice of her young daughter figure brought her out of her trance.

'Donna, what should we do? We can't keep running forever!' It was true, Donna could see that Poppy was getting tired and the burning in her own legs was growing stronger.  
>'The Doctor said to try to trick the statues with reflective surfaces.' The cogs in her brain were whirring about, searching for a bright idea with which they could save their lives. 'Where do you find reflective surfaces?' she thought to herself. Then the answer came: bathrooms, toilets, clothing stores, boutiques. All of which were conveniently placed around them. It was too easy.<p>

Donna directed Poppy around a sharp corner, narrowly missing the partially hidden turn off. Situated at the end of the road was a block of public toilets, small but in relatively clean condition. If she could just be certain they had mirrors inside...

Seeing how close they were Donna decided it was safe to stop and look behind them. At first glance there was nothing there but the more she looked the more she discovered. Two stone statues had followed them across the park and several blocks of roads. Only two left which meant the Doctor had somehow gotten rid of the others. Donna tried to push the nagging thought that plagued her since they left to the back of her mind: 'He should have caught up by now.'

'Donna, we should go' Poppy urged, tugging at the sleeve on Donna's jacket. They started running towards the public toilets again and made it to the door in record time.

When Donna turned the handle and it didn't slide open her heart sunk lower and lower until it hit the ground. 'No' she groaned, this was really not good at all. Poppy's brow furrowed and she took a step towards the door. Reaching into her hair she withdrew a single bobby pin and began playing with the lock, shifting the pin up and down until they heard a gentle click. Donna's mouth gaped open, 'where did you learn how to do that?' she asked.  
>'I'll tell you later! Go!' replied the girl.<p>

Obediently Donna entered the dimly lit toilets and Poppy followed close behind. They had time to survey the area and what Donna saw made the alarm rise in her chest a little higher. Two mirrors that reflected the waist up hung loosely from the wall above two somewhat clean basins. 'Two mirrors...' Poppy observed from where she was cleaned up against the toilet cubicle, 'and two weeping angels.' Donna finished. The two shared a glance. This was not going to be fun.

Donna agreed and turned to face the entrance again. 'Poppy. Did you lock the door behind us?' she asked evenly.  
>'No! Oh, I'm so sorry, have they found us?' she answered sadly.<br>'It's not your fault, we've both been blinking. Don't look at the door okay? It's only one of them just don't look at the doorway. Focus on the mirror.' Outwardly Donna had composed herself and this time she was ready. No more freaking out, no more panicking. Inwardly however was a different story entirely. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, each beat was heavy. She began stepping backwards towards the room's reflective surfaces.

'The mirrors should be loose enough that you can rip one off. Give it to me' she ordered coolly. Poppy reached up, grabbed the bottom of the mirror and yanked it down off the wall, sending plaster and dust falling, covering the basin and floor with white powder. With trembling hands she handed Donna the mirror and receded back into a corner, careful not to look at the statue. Donna took her shield and held it up to her chest, reflective side facing the angel. There was only one thing left to do. Donna blinked. The angel moved closer so that now they were almost face to face. Donna knew she had only one chance left to save herself and Poppy so she allowed her eyelids to flutter shut once more.

On the other side of her eyes the weeping angel darted forward, its hands reaching out, hungry for life, its face twisted in a terrible grin. Donna's eyes opened and she nearly dropped her mirror. For something that appeared so beautiful before now this creature was the exact opposite of the ones she remembered from the park. Clawed hands reached out for her mirror and she blinked again. When she next opened her eyes what she saw surprised, shocked and relieved her all at once. The angel had _grabbed _the mirror itself and was stuck, staring at its own hideous reflection.

'Donna you did it!' Poppy cried out in relief, rushing forwards to give her a hug. 'You're so brave! I was scared to death' she admitted.  
>Donna hugged the girl back and said, 'You were very brave today, Poppy. You mustn't forget that you made the whole plan that kept us safe for a while. That was all <em>you<em>. You are brilliant.'  
>'How do I stop being so afraid? I want to be like you,' implored the young child who had tightened her grip on Donna. Donna was at a loss for words. No one had ever told her anything like that before in her whole life.<br>'Courage isn't not being afraid. It's being scared to death and doing what you have to anyway. Think of things you love, think of family and friends' she said.

'I don't have any family.'

The simple sentence caused Donna's heart to crack in half and an honest sympathy to rise up in her that she couldn't shake away because a child so young had lost so much and had so little and it wasn't fair. Donna knelt down to Poppy's height and took the child's hands in her own. She looked into the big, dark brown eyes that peered up at her and wiped away the tears falling down Poppy's cheeks. 'You have me. You'll always have me.'  
>'R-really?'<br>'Of course, I love you.' Donna said. Poppy needed someone and for the first time in her life Donna was able to be that person.  
>'I love you too' Poppy whispered.<p>

Everything would have been perfect if the alien attack on London ended there and then but it didn't. The final weeping angel was standing in the door way, arms outstretched and mouth gaping open to reveal two rows of pointed teeth. Poppy stepped forward. 'Let me take this one' she said. 'I have a chance to be brave.' Against her every principle belief that children shouldn't be fighting for their lives against aliens Donna allowed Poppy to step forward. There was something in the way she moved, she was light, agile. Perhaps she really could trick an angel. Poppy moved to stand directly in front of the remaining mirror and blinked. The angel darted forwards so quickly and so suddenly that it was standing in front of the mirror, the only thing that blocked the reflective surface was Poppy. In a perfectly executed movement and at a carefully calculated pace, she dropped to the ground and blinked. She expected stone cold hands to reach out and take her away but they didn't. She had done it and they were safe.

The angel was locked in place, glaring at its reflection in the mirror. Donna ran forward and pulled Poppy away into another tight hug. 'You did it!'  
>'I-I know' replied Poppy incredulously. 'I'm brave now!'<br>'Yes, you are.' Donna smiled.

Donna whipped a phone out of her pocket and dialled the Doctor, alerting him to their presence. He had installed a tracker in her phone shortly after she had recovered her memory so that if they were ever lost he could always find her.

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><p>The Doctor was sprinting away from the park, tweed jacket flying out behind him, oblivious to the rain and the looks people were shooting him from the road. He needed to get back to Donna before something else happened. It should be mentioned now that the Doctor wasn't running alone. He was accompanied by a tall man with dark hair and brown eyes, dressed in civilian clothes. The Doctor knew only one thing about the man who had helped him with the angels outside the TARDIS: that his name was John. Certain that this meant nothing because John was a very common name; he enlisted the man's help. John had been very helpful indeed by always staring and following instructions. He was just a normal man off the street with an inquisitive mind. Whenever something out of the ordinary occurs most humans resort to taking photos and uploading them to the internet with conspiracy theories but not John. He did something about it. The Doctor liked people like that.<p>

They were almost there and the Doctor could see the toilet cubicles that Donna described in the distance and matched it up to the GPS on his phone. They were moving closer and closer to the red blip that signalled his companion's safety.

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><p>Relieved as she was from the break in weeping angel attacks, Donna was about to slump to the ground against a wall when the Doctor entered, only he wasn't alone. She noticed that he was accompanied by a man dressed normally but armed with one amazing weapon. His face! Donna was incapable of speech, her mouth hung open, small squeaks occasionally escaping.<p>

'Donna, I'd like you to meet John' the Doctor said happily. 'He helped me get rid of the weeping angels' the Doctor clapped a hand on John's back, pushing him forward.  
>'No...' Donna shook her head.<br>'What's wrong with him?' the Doctor asked a confused expression on his face.  
>'Doctor that <em>the <em>John!' Donna hissed. The Doctor raised an eyebrow and looked at Donna as if she was insane.  
>'Are you sure? You're kidding right? That's the dream John?'<p>

Donna shook her head again in disbelief and took a step forward to shake the new man's hand. 'I'm Donna Noble, pleased to meet you' she said.  
>'A lovely name for a lovely lady.' John flashed a toothy grin and Donna blushed in spite of herself.<p>

She hadn't met someone this charming since Captain Jack.

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><p><strong>So, there you have it. John has been officially revealed! When he popped into my head he was just a little extra character that the Doctor and Donna would meet along the way but the more I wrote the more I wanted to throw him into the works. That's the thing with my writing; if I feel the urge to do something then I do it and I feel that my writing gets better if I enjoy the chapter. Anyways, I hope you like him!<strong>

**Please drop by with a review and your thoughts! It would be very much appreciated. :) **


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Hey all, I'm back again after my much needed break, so sorry to keep you all waiting! Thanks to all for the lovely reviews!**

**Way Worse Than Scottish – Thanks for the review and don't worry, things aren't going to be **_**that **_**easy for Donna and John. All in good time, my dear reader, all in good time. If the heroes won straight away then it wouldn't be a very good adventure.**

Donna could feel her face becoming hotter and knew that her entire face would be bright red in a matter of seconds. Oh, how she hated blushing. She reached a freckled hand up to brush the stray hairs from her face and cleared her throat, regaining her composure.

'So, how'd you find the Doctor?' she asked him.

'He's kind of difficult to miss. Man standing next to a big blue box, staring at a statue, calling out something about not blinking. That's not something you see everyday' he replied.

Now that all imminent danger had been taken care of Donna was able to get a good look at him. He was tall, muscular with friendly brown eyes. She couldn't help but notice the way the corners of those eyes crinkled when he smiled. _'No!' _she thought._ 'Don't even think about getting distracted, he's just a man. You've seen thousands of those before!' _She couldn't stop the smile that spread on her face and she allowed herself to laugh. 'Fair enough!' she said.

The Doctor and Poppy were standing not too far away watching the couple closely. Poppy was smiling from ear to ear but the Doctor merely watched them with a raised eyebrow. Did he look like that in River's company? They looked absolutely ridiculous just standing there looking at each other, smiling and laughing at nothing. He assumed it was a human thing.

'Ahem, excuse the interruption you two but we should probably be going. I'd rather not be seen standing in the middle of a women's toilet block' said the Doctor as he checked his watch and did his best "I'm in a hurry" act.

Donna seemed to snap out of a trance. She looked down at herself and smoothed the crinkles in her shirt while the blush in her cheeks grew more prominent. _'Snap out of it, Donna! Don't even think about getting close to this guy. You've only just met him'_ she told herself. She couldn't, no, wouldn't get involved with John; the Doctor wouldn't want another person cramping his TARDIS. Besides, a man this good looking would surely have a girlfriend, wouldn't he?

She went to stand next to the Doctor and Poppy, readying herself to say goodbye. This wasn't the end was it? All her dreams had to mean something, this couldn't be the end. 'Why don't you come round to my place for dinner? It's getting late and all that running must have exhausted you all.' John's voice stopped them in their tracks and Donna beamed again, looking to the Doctor for conformation. Poppy was tugging on his sleeve, looking up at him with pleading eyes. 'Please can we, Doctor?' she begged.  
>'It would be good cultural experience for Poppy' Donna whispered cheekily. The Doctor held back a sigh for he was outnumbered. There would be no disappointing his girls tonight.<p>

He nodded his consent. 'Thanks, mate, that'd be great' he said.

Donna was wedged in the taxi cab behind John and Poppy. The child was staring out of her window, swivelling her head to take in the sights. It was easily forgotten that Poppy wasn't from Earth but Donna found herself growing increasingly curious in regard to her past. John shifting his weight a little in the car brought her out of her thoughts and back to the real world. The Doctor was in the front passenger seat tapping along with his foot to the music coming from the stereo.

The taxi eventually pulled over outside a large apartment complex. The four passengers emerged from the cab and approached the steps. John led them inside and to a flight of stairs. Donna walked Poppy up them while the Doctor followed closely behind. They walked up another flight of steps; Donna's heeled boots signalled every clicking step she took. Twenty five clicks later they arrived at a wooden door with brass numbers stating that John lived in room 47. He slipped a key into the lock and opened the door for his dinner guests. 'Welcome to my humble abode' he said, bowing them inside. 'Make yourselves at home' he gestured at the plush couch in the middle of his living room, inviting them to sit down.

Poppy and the Doctor plonked themselves down on the couch immediately and allowed themselves to sink into the cushions and tilt their heads back in relaxation. Donna however, took a little longer to sit down. She took in her surroundings, the light green walls, the dark brown wooden furniture and the clanging noises of pots and pans from the kitchen.

Her heart sank. Clanging noises? So there was someone else here, perhaps a woman. _'You should have known' _she told herself. She kept a smile plastered to her face and sat down next to the Doctor. 'Tea shouldn't be too long, Eliza's in the kitchen setting things up for us!' John said happily, as he moved to stand by the dark coffee table. 'She makes the best blends of tea you've ever tasted, I promise!'

Moments later a petite woman with fair skin and dark hair floated out of the small kitchen with so much elegance and grace she could have been a ballerina. In her delicate hands she carried a tray laden with a tea pot and five cups and saucers. 'I'm Eliza' she said as she placed the tea tray down on the coffee table in front of them.

'I'm Poppy!' she piped, gladly accepting her tea from Eliza.

'I'm Donna and this is the Doctor' Donna said, offering the woman a smile. Donna had to admit that Eliza was exceptionally pretty. She couldn't stop the little twinge of jealousy that nagged at the back of her mind so she focused instead on the teacup that held her beverage. Eliza gave them a dazzling smile and sat down next to her boyfriend. 'A Doctor? Like a medical Doctor?' she inquired.

'I suppose you could say that, yes' he replied.

'Well you all make quite the charming family.' The Doctor and Donna exchanged a look. Here we go again. 'No, we aren't a couple!' Donna exclaimed.

'No, not ever,' the Doctor laughed.

John and Eliza shared the same glance the Doctor and Donna gave each other. 'We've been together for a year and a half now' John said. 'I met Eliza at a cooking class in town. Needless to say my skills have greatly improved since she moved in!'

Donna's spirits sank even lower. John had a girlfriend. Of course. How silly of her to think he might love someone like herself.

'How did John meet you three then?' Eliza asked, taking small sips of her tea. 'It must have been quite the adventure.'

'Oh it was!' said Poppy. The child then launched into a very animated and in-depth explanation of their adventures, leaving her dining company in stitches. It would seem that Poppy had quite the imagination and a very witty sense of humour.

'It was lovely meeting you all!' Eliza and John said, bidding them goodnight.

'Yes, you too!' the TARDIS trio replied, equally as happy. Well, two of them were, the third was only pretending. Surely this couldn't be where it all ended for her and John?

The three made their journey back to the TARDIS in silence, content with their fulfilled appetites. Donna trailed along a few steps behind with her arms wrapped around her waist so as to keep out the cold. Her efforts were useless and the chilly wind slowly crept into her jacket and forced her already low spirits even further into the pavement.

Eventually they reached their home and stepped into the warm interior. 'Well that wasn't so bad!' the Doctor said with Poppy agreeing wholeheartedly. 'Yes, I had fun too!' she said.

'Yeah, well. I'll see you in the mornin' then' Donna said.

She placed a kiss on Poppy's forehead and gave the Doctor a hug. Words couldn't express how much she needed a good hug. The Doctor wrapped an arm around her and bade her goodnight. She left him to take care of Poppy. Tonight would be one in which the Doctor would be tasked with reading the child a bed time story.

Donna threw her coat off her shoulders and onto her bed where various other articles of clothing lay scattered. She readied herself for bed by letting the cold beads of water from her shower drip down her skin. Her warm night clothes gave her some comfort as she crawled into bed. As she lay her head down her on her cool pillow a single thought ran through her head, repeating itself over and over.

_It couldn't possibly end like this_.

A single tear rolled down her freckled cheek, her bright green eyes welling up and suddenly the tears were flowing. All because of a man she had only just met but had _known_ for so much longer. She didn't bother to get a tissue to blot her tear stained face but she let them flow freely until she curled up and fell asleep.

Donna didn't dream of John that night, or Poppy, or the Doctor. She didn't dream of anything.

**So that's Chapter 12 for you all. I hope you enjoyed it! I'm very sorry for the wait. Reviews make me write faster! The reason I do this is for all you guys so please drop by with a review. The button is just below. Go on, click it, pretty please? It'll make Donna happy again.**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Moving on.

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><p>It had been a week since the weeping angel attack on London and a week since the disastrous visit to John and Eliza's apartment. Well, it was disastrous for Donna anyway. She stayed in her room for hours on end, only coming out for breakfast, lunch and dinner. When she was hungry in between she would eat a few dry crackers and go back to sleep. The Doctor was worried about her. Did all humans act like this? What was it about John anyway?<p>

The Doctor decided that this had gone on long enough. They had adventures to go on. People to see places to go and a silly human relationship wasn't going to ruin Donna's happiness. Not while the Doctor was around. He was going to pay her a visit.

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><p>Donna sat on her bed, legs folded and surrounded by tissues and empty boxes. She hadn't cried over a boy since high school when Luke Barnes had ditched her for a prissy blonde girl. The thing was Eliza wasn't a prissy blonde and she seemed genuinely nice. She had willingly accepted them into her home and made them tea, which Donna would have loved under normal circumstances. One doesn't simply walk up to a person and say "Hi, I'm Donna and I travel with a time-and-space-travelling alien whose spaceship made me have dreams of the future. My dreams mainly consisted of your boyfriend, by the way." No, that just doesn't happen. She supposed the tears would go away eventually; it's not as if she knew him that well anyway. Just as these thoughts crossed her mind and her tears had momentarily ceased to flow she heard a knock at her door. Making an effort to get her tissues into one pile she made a place for her visitor on the bed.<p>

Getting up and crossing the threshold she slowly turned the door handle and opened it to reveal the Doctor's anxious face peering intently at her.

'Oh, Donna,' he said, 'Are you alright?'  
>'Yeah, I'm fine.' She knew the Doctor didn't buy it but she let him in anyway and gestured to the bed. 'Sorry if the sheets are wet' she mumbled. The Doctor led her over to her bed and plonked himself down on the end where he noticed the sheets were driest. He eyed her pile of mounted tissues but didn't comment. Humans had so many tears in them.<p>

'Want to talk about it?' he asked, taking her hand. 'I can help you, you know.'  
>'I know it just sucks. I got caught up in the moment of being a hero and my emotions weren't working and he was kind and charming and he <em>saved our lives<em>.'  
>'I know, Donna. I know but look on the bright side. You've got me and Poppy, you don't need him when you have us.' He took her in his arms and patted her back. She gave him a tight, long hug and suddenly she didn't feel so bad. The Doctor was right. Poppy needed her and the Doctor wouldn't be able to take care of himself without her. She didn't need a man to make her happy when she has a family like this. 'Thanks mate.'<p>

'Hey, Donna.'  
>'Yeah?'<br>'No matter what happens, I want you to know that I'll always be here for you when you need me.'  
>'Yeah, is that so?'<br>'What are friends for?'

They stood and gave each other one more massive hug, big enough to take away any pain and leave a warm and fuzzy feeling in its place. Things were looking up, things were getting better.

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><p><strong>Howdy. Yes this is a little short and I realise I've been absent for awhile but you know school work is important (it zapped the imagination out of me with its unrelenting essays). I'm not so sure how I feel about this chapter but I just had to get something up for you guys! Please review, it would mean so much to this humble little writer. <strong>

**As a side note, hang on for the next chapter because it's going to answer a question some of you have been asking for a long time. **


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

**Hello everybody! Firstly I got a question in one of my reviews from "New-York eat your heart out".** **No, I'm not American, I'm Australian. :) Thanks to "GoForTehGig" for reviewing!**

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><p>A scream echoed down the hall from Poppy's room. The Doctor and Donna snapped apart and their eyes met for a fleeting moment, sharing a look of worry before the Doctor flew down the hall, his companion close behind.<p>

Their feet thudded heavily along the hall, their hearts in their chests. As they neared the door crying could be heard from within. Donna's stomach was somersaulting over and over as she yanked the door open. The lights flickered on to reveal a pile of quivering, shuddering woollen bed sheets. 'Oh!' Donna exclaimed. She rushed over to the bed and slowly pulled back the covers. Poppy's small form lay curled up into a ball, her face buried beneath a pillow. 'Poppy, dear' Donna said as she gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Poppy's big brown eyes peered out from behind her pillow refuge, followed by her arms, her waist and then her legs. Donna held her arms open for Poppy to crawl into and the young girl was perfectly willing to oblige.

Donna encircled her arms around Poppy and drew her close. 'What's the matter?' she asked her.

'I...I h-had a nightm-mare!' Her speech was heavily punctuated by tiny crying induced hiccups. ''What did you dream about?' asked the Doctor coming over to join them on the bed. He too wrapped his arms around her, softly patting her back all the while. He remembered back to the little boy who was afraid of the monsters in his cupboard, little George. He just prayed that Poppy didn't have monsters hiding under her bed for they were much harder to deal with than cupboard monsters.

'It was s-scary!' She pressed herself further between the two adults, clinging to them for comfort. 'You're safe with us. Do you want to talk about it?' The Doctor started rocking her slowly back and forth in an attempt to soothe her while Donna fetched a box of tissues.

'I dreamed about home...'

'What was wrong with remembering home?' Donna asked.

'There was a war.'

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><p>The Doctor's hearts were beating violently in his chest at her words, <em>a war<em>. He had seen plenty wars in his lifetime and fought in many of them, most of them actually but to have a child as young as Poppy have to endure a war and the repercussions afterwards seemed so wrong. One's youth should be a time of freedom of adventures, of exploring the world and of dreaming, not of being oppressed by curfews and laws and death. 'There was a war. My parents were two out of a small group of people who liked to call themselves the 'Rebellion'. They were the rebellion against the war. I was always told that it was a good thing to do and that war is bad.'

'War is bad, Poppy' said Donna gently. Poppy looked up at Donna, her face the very epitome of innocence.  
>'Then why did the rebellion have to die?' she said. Her lower lip began to tremble again and her eyes began to fill once more with tears. 'Why did my parents have to die?' Tears began to fall from her eyes onto the sheets now but she ploughed on in her story. 'I ran. I didn't have a choice if I wanted to surv-vive.'<p>

The Doctor was filled with an anger so strong he didn't know what to do with it. His face screwed into a frown and it was all he could do not to hit something at the unfairness of it all. Donna wore a look of disbelief, her own lower lip quavering slightly. She couldn't imagine what it must have been like. 'I wasn't alone for very long though. There were other kids who ran with me, most were older though. I never had anyone my own age. We were a sort of team I suppose. No one would take us in for more than a week at the most. You could get into trouble for harbouring rebellion kids. Then the enemy fighters started coming. We were outnumbered by a long shot; our soldiers weren't as good as theirs. Then they started dropping the bombs. It felt like the world was on fire. There was mess everywhere and some of us got out in time and some of us got stuck...'

She didn't need to continue because the Doctor and Donna knew the rest. They'd been there for the rest. The Doctor hugged her tighter and Donna joined in and patted her head, smoothing her knotted hair. After the bombs had dropped chaos broke out everywhere, people running and screaming but it was useless. 'I thought I was going to go the same way as the others, you know, but then you two showed up and saved me!' Poppy cried.

That was it, the final straw. 'Hush, that's enough now, Poppy. It's alright, you're safe with us. _We love you._' The reassuring words fell from the Doctor's mouth before he knew he'd said them but he quickly realised they were true. He did love Poppy.  
>'We love you, Poppy!' Donna repeated, cuddling her and kissing the top of her head.<br>'Thank you' Poppy whispered. 'I love you too!'

Donna took the box of tissues again and dabbed at Poppy's cheeks, soaking up the tears. The Doctor picked her up and placed her gently back down to bed and tucked her in. He was getting quite good at it, Donna thought.

After a few minutes had passed and Poppy was snuggled safely beneath her sheets once more the Doctor reached to turn out the light. 'Wait!' cried the child. 'Can you stay with me? Both of you, just a little while longer?'

'Of course' the Doctor said, sliding onto the end of the bed.

More silent moments passed before Poppy spoke again. 'We're a family now aren't we? A real, proper family?' the look on her face was that of such hope and trust and love that anyone would have found it impossible to say no.

'Yes, I believe you're right, Poppy' the Doctor replied. 'We are a family, a small family perhaps but a family nonetheless.' He found that he genuinely meant it. He did love this little family of his, with his best friend Donna and the loveable girl they had somewhat adopted.

One perfect family.

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><p><strong>Thank you so much for reading Chapter 14! I must admit I was quite proud with how quickly I got this one up. I really hope you all love it as much as I loved writing it! But where have all my lovely reviewers gone? It puts me in the best mood ever when I wake up to see the little e-mails that tell me I've gotten one! Thank you to all who have reviewed, alerted, favourited and subscribed. I love you guys!<strong>


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello all! Firstly to avoid any confusion, as I said in the last Author's Note I'm Australian which means I spell it "Mum" not "Mom" etc. So anyhow I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, however I do own Poppy.**

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><p>Chapter 15<p>

It was a beautiful morning outside when Poppy woke up the next day; she had slept soundly with the Donna and Doctor by her side or Mum and Dad as she preferred to call them. She felt safer now than she had in a long time but that wasn't the only strong emotion she was feeling, not by a long shot. _Excitement! _

The Doctor and Donna had promised her a trip to visit someone –someone with a child her own age. Poppy who had never had the luxury of a friend her own age was excited beyond belief. Her parents wouldn't tell her who it was though, saying that it would be a surprise.

She could hear clattering coming from the kitchen and knew that Donna was attempting to cook her breakfast. She said "attempting" because Donna had a tendency to burn the toast and she overcooked the eggs, not that Poppy cared that much, for breakfast is breakfast and one must be grateful for what they have.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes Poppy shuffled out into the kitchen wearing the oversized fluffy slippers Donna had bought her. She hopped up onto her stool next to the kitchen bench and said 'Mornin', Mum!'

Donna was in the process of cracking an egg over the frypan when Poppy spoke and accidentally dropped the eggshell. Getting called "Mum" wasn't something she was at all familiar with and would take a lot of getting used to. 'Good morning, dear! Did you sleep well?' she asked coming over to give her daughter a hug. That was a familiar feeling now, Poppy gave excellent good morning hugs. Poppy nodded and turned her eyes to the pan. 'Mum, the eggs are burning again.'

Donna looked over the egg and assessed the damage. 'That's an interesting colour for an egg to be' said Poppy, eyeing the egg from behind Donna's shoulder. 'Can I try making one?' she asked. Donna, who had accepted defeat from the egg nodded and handed Poppy an egg. 'Just tap it on the edge of the pan and crack it in. It's pretty simple.' Poppy did exactly this and smiled as the egg made a simmering noise. The egg formed into a perfect circle. 'How did you do that?' Donna asked incredulously. 'I can never do it in a perfect circle!'

Poppy laughed as she cracked another perfect egg for Donna. The Doctor walked into the kitchen and peered into the pan. 'What happened to that one in the corner?' he asked.

'It's mine' Donna huffed.

'Ah, I thought so.'

'OI! Watch it, spaceman!'

Three perfectly circular eggs , semi-burnt pieces of toast and three full stomachs later the trio were standing around the console, ready to take off.

Donna was getting good at not crashing in the wrong decades now and she landed them almost exactly where they needed to be.

'Where are we?' Poppy asked as she looked around her surroundings: Suburbia by the look of it. There was a nice little park some way away and a row of houses was situated off to their left. The Doctor and Donna led her towards a particularly nice looking house with trees planted either side of the driveway. A black car was parked out front.

The Doctor walked up the steps, unable to keep a smile from his face when he wrapped his knuckles against the door and his grin grew as he saw the face of the person who opened it. Poppy leaned over to get a better look at the woman. She had brown eyes and brown hair. Poppy thought she had a very kind face and a nice smile.

'Hello, Doctor' she said, showing a row of straight, white teeth.

'Hello, Sarah-Jane.'

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><p><strong>That was fun. You know how I love cliff-hangers ;) I'd like to dedicate this chapter to the fabulous Elisabeth Sladen who is dearly missed among our Whovian ranks. I'd wanted to include Sarah-Jane in this story for a long time; I just didn't know where to fit her in. I thought of her son, Luke and then bam! Everything fit so perfectly I couldn't resist. Also, I HIT 50 REVIEWS! I was praying I'd hit that goal before the story ended and I have. Thank you so much to everyone! <strong>

**Much love and thanks!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Samantha McKay- I would have loved to include River (I'm a massive River/11 shipper!) or Amy and Rory, or all three of them but I didn't know how to fit them all in here. So, thanks to you and your review I now have little plots floating around in my head for my next project, you can expect to see a River/Donna/Doctor story from me in the future.**

**DoctorBellaMortLock- Thanks for helping me out with the continuity there!**

**Thanks to GoForTehGig, and George Weasley's Ear for reviewing **

**This chapter's a fun one, particularly for me, so I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.**

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><p>Chapter 16<p>

Sarah-Jane stood on her toes to reach up and give the Doctor a tight squeeze, 'You've gotten taller' she said fondly. He grinned down at her and said 'I know! Great isn't it. Still not ginger though.'

'I am!' Donna says pushing the Doctor aside to greet their host. 'You look well!' she said happily returning Sarah-Jane's offered hug. 'There's someone I'd like you to meet,' Donna said, bringing Poppy forward. Sarah-Jane bent down to hug Poppy also. 'It's lovely to meet you, dear. You must be Poppy. I've got someone I'd like you to meet too.'

A girl stepped out from behind the door of Sarah-Jane's house and raced down the stairs. 'Hi, I'm Sky!' she said, running up to Poppy. Sky looked very pretty with her brown eyes, brown hair, fair skin and the same kind smile as Sarah-Jane. Hugs were being passed all around and everyone was smiling at each other like it was a massive family reunion. After everyone had become reacquainted with one another the Doctor spoke up to the group. 'Right! Are we all ready for our trip?' Poppy and Sky looked excitedly at their parents. 'A trip? Where are we going?' Sky said.

The Doctor pressed a finger to his lips and playfully whispered 'It's a surprise!' Sarah-Jane and Donna smiled their secretive smiles as the brunette woman pulled a picnic basket out from behind her. Poppy tried to resist the temptation to run over and look inside so instead she and Sky speculated their destination all the way to the TARDIS.

'All aboard!' Donna yelled, ushering everyone inside. They all piled in and the Doctor set the mystery co-ordinates.

One bumpy TARDIS ride later and the travelers were stumbling outside into the golden sunshine. Poppy blinked the sun out of her eyes and turned to Sky in awe. 'We're on a beach!' they cried and rushed off to claim their patch of sand.  
>'Not just any beach! We're in Sydney, Australia. Welcome to Bondi!' the Doctor yelled after them. He doubted they could hear him. They were too busy making sand angels.<p>

The trio of adults followed their children down to the beach and lay down on the towels they had set out. 'It's been so long since I've been to the beach,' Donna admitted.  
>'I can see why!' Sarah-Jane agreed. 'It's so hot!'<br>The Doctor laughed heartily. 'No, that's just Australian weather. They have some of the world's nicest beaches but the weather is stifling.'

Poppy and Sky's laughter could be heard as they raced down to the water's edge and splashed around. Sarah-Jane leaned back with a contented sigh and relaxed into her beach towel. 'I suppose the sun is quite nice. It's a change from England.'  
>'I imagine I'll have a few more freckles to add to my collection after this,' joked Donna as she sat up and squinted at the water where the Doctor was playing with the children. 'He's not changed at all.' said Sarah-Jane to Donna. 'That's the thing about the Doctor. No matter what he goes through he still finds a way to see the good things in life, to enjoy the fun times. I admire him for that.'<p>

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><p>Hours passed and the family's stomachs were rumbling. Sarah-Jane emptied her picnic basket onto the towels and passed around glasses of lemonade and home-made burgers to everyone. The Doctor downed his drink in minutes, closely followed by everyone else. They had seconds, albeit smaller seconds and eventually they were too full to eat anymore.<p>

'Well, I'm full up!' The Doctor said, emitting a loud burp. Sarah-Jane and the children laughed.  
>'Doctor!' Donna said, swatting at his arm.<br>'Sorry!' he grinned.

Sky yawned tiredly and reclined into Sarah-Jane's arms and Poppy mimicked her actions to the Doctor. He wrapped an arm around her and her eyes fluttered shut. They stayed like this for a while, in silence enjoying the sun warming their faces.

Eventually it came time to leave. So Sarah-Jane and the Doctor packed up the picnic while Donna and the girls shook the sand from their towels. The troop filled into the TARDIS and co-ordinates were once again set for Sarah-Jane's house.

On the way Poppy was given Sky's e-mail address. 'I suppose we could be like sisters now!' Sky said, handing it to her. Poppy grinned from ear to ear. 'I'd like that very much!' she said, despite not knowing what an e-mail address was. Donna would explain it to her later, she was sure.

The TARDIS travellers waved farewell to Sarah-Jane and Sky and the TARDIS flew off into the distance.

Inside the ship Donna and Poppy were seated on two chairs in the console room. The Doctor was again, pottering away on his controls. 'Don't get too relaxed, Poppy. Donna and I have two more very important people we want you to meet!'  
>'Who are they?' she asked inquisitively.<br>'Grandma and Great-Gramps,' Donna said happily.

She couldn't wait to show Poppy to Gramps and Sylvia. Theirs might not be an entirely traditional family but it was a family none the less.

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><p><strong>So there you have it! A nice fluffy chapter for you all, I think I need the fluffy-ness what with all the stress of exams coming up! Any who, please review.<strong>

**Love, Blue :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.**

**Here we are at the final chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it. :)**

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><p>Wilfred and his daughter, Sylvia were watching the news when the Doctor came with Donna and Poppy. Freak storms had been ravaging the country for the past week and although she wouldn't show it, Sylvia was worried about her Donna.<p>

They sat clasping hot chocolates, their eyes and ears peeled for anything that might suggest the Doctor was involved. Sylvia didn't trust him but Wilf did so all she could do was sit tight and wait.

Sylvia was about to flick the switch on the TV and go to bed when the noise that she usually dreaded filled her ears. The sound of a landing TARDIS reverberated around the house until it finally settled and the rain became the dominant source of noise once more. Sylvia flung the blanket she had over her legs onto the floor and raced out to the front door. She peered through the rain, searching for the blue box.

She didn't see the box but what she did see was even better. The tall silhouette that surely belonged to Donna was running through the rain, up the street. The tall gangly Doctor was jogging alongside her, and clutching his arm was a _child_. The closer they got to Sylvia's house the more she could see of them. The rain had soaked their clothes all the way through and their hair stuck to their faces. Donna and the child where laughing. 'She's happy,' whispers Sylvia to herself.

'Yes, she is'. Wilf has come to stand beside his daughter and is waving wholeheartedly at the trio running up the street.

Donna makes it to the porch first and flings her arms around her mother, something she doesn't usually do, but she is so blissfully happy that she doesn't care. Sylvia doesn't care that Donna is saturated either and she returns the hug wholeheartedly. She wraps her arms around her daughter and pulls her close. 'Are you alright, Donna?' she asks.  
>'Yeah, Mum. I'm brilliant!' Donna replies, shouting to get past the sound of rain on the roof.<p>

She releases her Mother and gives Wilf his hug and a bright smile before taking Poppy's hand from the Doctor and bringing her forward. Sylvia and Wilf raise their eyebrows and stare at Donna and the Doctor questioningly, but when Poppy smiles and says "Hello!" they can't stop themselves from softening to her. 'Hello, Dear,' Wilf says. He is the first to greet the girl and opens his arms to her. She runs into them just as Donna did (she's completely unafraid of meeting new people). She looks up at Sylvia and flashes her best puppy eyes and says 'I'm Poppy, can I call you Granny?'

The Doctor and Donna take one look at Sylvia's confused and slightly horrified face and try to stifle their laughter. 'I don't think Mum planned on hearing those words for quite some time!' Donna giggles to him. 'Comes as a bit of a shock, I suppose. Should we tell her that she's you know...not _ours_?'  
>'But she is ours though,'<br>'You know what I mean!'  
>The Doctor's face flushed, 'Oh! Oh, right. Let's wait till we get inside, hmm?' he said hurriedly.<p>

Donna nodded, her cheeks had gone bright red also, but it warmed her heart to see her mother holding her daughter in such an affectionate way. 'Yes, I'm...Granny,' Sylvia said, rolling the words around in her mouth. She found she liked the sound of it after all. She had always pressured Donna for a grandchild and now she had one.

Wilf took it upon himself to usher everyone inside and onto the tiles, where they were given towels to dry off. Sylvia turned up the heating and prepared everyone a cup of hot cocoa. The Doctor dried himself off and helped Poppy dry while Donna left to fetch her some warmer clothes.

After everyone was reasonably comfortable, the family gathered around the heater in the living room, settled into the couches and Sylvia started the conversation up again. Poppy was contentedly sipping her hot drink and looking around, keeping an ear open for the discussion 'Donna, I was so worried about you. You could have been _hurt_! You didn't even say goodbye!' Sylvia fussed. Donna was slightly taken aback by Sylvia's behaviour for it was most unlike her Mother to fuss over her in such a way. 'Yeah, Mum. I'm sorry but I had to leave in a hurry, and I'm fine, better than fine, actually. I feel amazing!'

Sylvia's stare lessened to hear such happiness in Donna's voice. Happiness in her voice was something that had been absent for a long, long time. If the Doctor brought her happiness then maybe he wasn't so bad. She turned to the man taking up a third of her couch. 'Have you looked after her then? Made sure she's safe?'  
>'Of course I have, Sylvia,' replied the Doctor casually. He still didn't like Donna's mother all that much but heck, she hadn't slapped him yet. 'Good,' she replied, allowing a very tiny smile to grace her features. 'So, tell me about Poppy.'<p>

The Doctor looked to Donna, who nodded and said 'It's a long story; you might want to get comfortable.'

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><p>Sylvia and Wilf listened with rapt attention to every word Donna and the Doctor said, with occasional input from Poppy. Within an hour or so they knew all about the Doctor and Donna's most recent adventures, including Poppy's story of being rescued. Occasionally Poppy herself would input some information, from the war that ravaged her home to the shopping trip with Donna.<p>

It didn't seem to deter Wilf that Poppy wasn't from Earth and it took lots of his strength not to ask her all his questions about different planets and lifestyles. He sympathised greatly with his new grand-daughter and at one stage during the evening she had crawled up into his lap and sat on his knees, listening to everyone's stories. Time ticked on and Poppy became tired. She yawned sleepily but it didn't escape Donna's keen eyes.

'Bed time, Poppy' she said.  
>'But I'm not tired, Mum!'<br>'Yes, you are. Come on, Granny's made a room up for you.'

Poppy accepted that she wasn't going be allowed to stay up much later anyway so she followed Donna and Sylvia upstairs to a cosy room that she would sleep in for the time they were visiting. A bed was pushed against a wall underneath a window, displaying a starry sky and a full moon. It was beautiful and the moonlight cast a dim glow throughout the room.

After Poppy was dressed in her nightclothes, she crawled into bed and allowed Sylvia to tuck her in. The older woman kneeled down to give her a kiss goodnight. 'Sweet dreams, love,' she whispered.

Poppy smiled happily at her and said'Night, Granny.' Soon the Doctor and Wilf came upstairs to say goodnight. They both wished her a good sleep and Wilf fluffed up her pillows. To see his grand-child so content brought a goofy smile to his face.

Donna knelt by Poppy's bedside and stroked her forehead. 'You have a big family now, love. You have all of us to kiss you goodnight every night and wake you every morning. You'll never have to be alone ever again because we love you so much,' and with that, she kissed her daughter's forehead and the adults left the room, all gazing fondly at the sleepy child on their way out.

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><p>As Poppy stared at the ceiling of Sylvia's spare room, she reflects on the adventures of her weeks with her new family. Had it only been a few weeks? It felt like so much more! Poppy had lived so long without a real family she'd forgotten what it was like. Now with her Great-Gramps, Grandmother and her Mum and Dad everything seemed so perfectly complete. All the hugs and kisses and laughter that had been exchanged that evening brought a smile to her face.<p>

She had Sarah-Jane or Aunt Sarah-Jane as she called her. She had Sky, her new best-friend. She had Granny Sylvia and Grandpa Wilf. She had a real Mum and Dad.

Donna's words floated around in her mind "_You'll never have to be alone ever again because we love you so much"_. She finally remembered what a real family felt like.

She remembered.

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><p><strong>I'm so glad if you stuck with me until the very end and if you reviewed, favourited or subscribed! I really feel like this story has come full circle with the "she remembered" line and I felt that now was the perfect time to end it.<strong>

**Thank you all so much for making this such an enjoyable experience for me. I definitely won't be away from the writing action for long; I love it way too much to stop now!**

**If you'd like you can see a little snippet from my next piece of work "Silence at Stormcage" under the break. Shameless advertising, I know ;)**

**Love,  
><strong>**Blue. :)**

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><p>"Silence at Stormcage"<p>

She snaps awake from her restless sleep as she hears the sounds of a landing TARDIS outside her prison bars. He's forgotten the breaks again and the noise echoes around her walls. She loves the sound because it means adventure, it means monsters and aliens and danger but most of all, it means the Doctor.

The woman who walks out of the TARDIS is most certainly not the Doctor. She's ginger and quite tall and is affectionately patting the TARDIS doors on her way out, she is unmistakably Donna Noble. River's breath catches in her throat and her jaw hangs open. She abruptly regains her composure enough to smile and say 'Donna!' The last she had heard of this woman her memory had been erased and she could never remember the Doctor again. River knew the consequences of Donna ever remembering could be fatal; an exploding head would certainly be uncomfortable at the very least. Yet here she was, strutting out of the TARDIS and up to her cell bars.

Donna carries herself well, looking healthy and happy, no signs of any pain there at the moment. 'Hello, River. Remember me?'


End file.
